The Log | School News
Nicholas School Faculty Take Part in AAAS Meeting
Three Nicholas School faculty members took part in the 2008 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Feb. 14-18 in Boston.
Patrick N. Halpin, Gabel Associate Professor of the Practice of Marine Geospatial Ecology, and Larry B. Crowder, Stephen Toth Professor of Marine Biology, were panelists in a daylong marine science seminar on Friday, Feb. 15.
Crowder presented an overview of recent research findings on “The Bycatch of Marine Megafauna in Global Fisheries” as part of the seminar’s lead-off session, “Where in the World are the Last Pristine Oceans.”
Halpin presented, “Developing Innovations,” an overview of recent advancements in marine geospatial technology, as part of the seminar’s second session, “Tackling Fisheries Bycatch: Hotspots, Innovations and Creative Solutions.”
William L. Chameides, dean of the Nicholas School and a professor in the school’s Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, hosted an open reception for all AAAS conference participants on Saturday at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. The reception was an opportunity for AAAS members to meet with Chameides and learn more about the Nicholas School.
The AAAS meeting is the largest general science conference of the year. It attracts thousands of researchers, policymakers, students and reporters from around the world. Being invited to present or moderate a symposium at AAAS is widely viewed as a measure of a researcher’s high stature in his or her field.
Climate Change Expert Named Fellow of American Geophysical Union
Robert B. Jackson, Nicholas Professor of Global Environmental Change and professor of biology, has been elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).
AGU is an international scientific association with more than 50,000 members. Its mission is to advance the scientific understanding of Earth and space for the benefit of humanity. Being elected a Fellow is one of the highest professional honors bestowed by the AGU. Each year, fewer than 0.1 percent of its members are selected by a committee of their peers for the honor.
An internationally cited expert on how people affect the Earth, Jackson’s research includes studies of the global carbon and water cycles, biosphere and atmosphere interactions, and global change. In addition to serving as director of Duke’s Center on Global Change, Jackson directs the university’s Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. He also heads the U.S. Department of Energy–funded National Institute for Climate Change Research for the southeastern U.S., and co-directs the Climate Change Policy Partnership, working with energy and utility corporations to find practical strategies to combat climate change.
He will be inducted as an AGU Fellow in a ceremony at the AGU Joint Assembly in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in May.