Dr. Robert Franciscus, UI Department of Anthropology, with a secondary appointment in the College of Dentistry, and Dr. Jeffrey Murray, UI College of Medicine, with a joint-appointment in the College of Dentistry, have been elected as 2014 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Drs. Murray and Franciscus are being honored for their contributions to innovation, education, and scientific leadership. 

Murray’s research focuses on identifying genetic and environmental causes of premature birth and birth defects such as cleft lip and palate. 

The research of Franciscus focuses on facial downsizing in modern humans as a result of “self-domestication” (decreased aggression and increased social tolerance).

The AAAS organization is the largest scientific organization; it publishes the journal Science.