Six UCLA scholars are among 449 scholars recently elected fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society. Members are selected based on scientifically or socially distinguished work that helps to advance science or its applications.

As a symbol of their accomplishments, each new fellow will receive an official certificate and a gold science or blue engineering rosette pin during the association's annual meeting in San Francisco on Feb. 17, 2007. The official announcement of this year's fellows was made Nov. 24 in the association's journal, Science.

Roberto D. Peccei, a physicist and UCLA vice chancellor for research, is one of three new fellows from the College of Letters and Science's Division of Physical Sciences, the UCLA unit with the most new fellows this year.

The division's other new fellows are Jean L. Turner, a professor of physics and astronomy, and Maria Alicia Lopez-Freeman, executive director of the California Science Project, a professional development network for teachers of science at all levels. The project is housed in UCLA's department of earth and space sciences.

The other recently elected fellow from UCLA's College of Letters and Science is geography professor Glen MacDonald.

Also elected were William G. Cumberland, chair of the School of Public Health's department of biostatistics, and David T. Wong, associate dean of research for the School of Dentistry and a doctor of medical dentistry and medical science.

Founded in 1848, the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science includes 262 affiliated societies and academies and serves 10 million people. The association is dedicated to advancing science throughout the world and increasing public awareness of science and technology. As publisher of the peer-reviewed journal Science, the association strives to foster communication among scientists and to enhance international cooperation in scientific innovation.

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