For the past six years, Ohio State has ranked either first or second in most members named as a fellows of the world's largest general scientific society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Last year was no different.
OSU produced 18 new fellows in 2008 to bring its total to 159 current members, which is believed to be more than any other institution in the country, said Earle Holland, Associate Executive Director of University Communications, in a press release.
The individuals were selected based on their efforts to advance science or its applications, according to the press release.
The association named 486 fellows last year and only the University of California, Irvine, with 21 fellows, had more selected than OSU.
One of the 18 selected was Dr. Anita Hopper, a molecular geneticist.
For Hopper, "being recognized by your peers" makes being inducted into the association special, she said. Hopper is in her third year at OSU after spending 27 years at Pennsylvania State University, working with the school's college of medicine.
Despite her short time here, Hopper has been nothing but impressed by the OSU research faculty. She has been everywhere from the University of Illinois, where she got her bachelor's degree, to Penn State, where she conducted research and instructed classes.
"I think it's fantastic," Hopper said of OSU's research faculty. "I've been to a lot of places. I've traveled worldwide. I've visited every state in the union and their academic institutions; this place shines - it really does."
Dr. Steven Clinton was also named as a fellow in 2008 and is in his 10th year at OSU. He is the director of Prostate and Genitourinary Oncology at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and is co-director of the Center for Advanced Functional Foods Research and Entrepreneurship.
Clinton said being a part of a group with many accomplished scientists from different disciplines is rewarding, and the reason OSU was able to produce so many fellows is not based on the faculty size.
"Some people might say that we have a large number of members in the AAAS fellowship because of our large faculty," Clinton said. "But I think it's due to our efforts to foster research that is at the cutting edge of current frontiers in science."
The successful efforts of OSU's faculty to produce new research could be the reason vice president for research, Caroline Whitacre, called the staff "an idea machine."
"Our research faculty are very creative individuals," Whitacre said. "And it's interesting how ideas come to people. They come by talking to faculty, talking to students and reading literature, but it's all about creativity."
No matter how professors at OSU come up with their ideas and various research techniques, the fact they are all achieving high levels in their scientific fields is what makes them outstanding.
"It's an extremely high honor," Whitacre said. "It's something that is widely recognized. The AAAS is an organization that spans all of science. This spans all scientific disciplines."
AAAS, founded in 1848, includes 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, Holland said.
The new fellows will be recognized at the 2009 AAAS Annual Meeting on Feb. 14 in Chicago.
Drew Sullivan can be reached at sullivan.462@osu.edu.
Be the first to comment on this article!