Astumian named AAAS Fellow

University of Maine Professor of Physics R. Dean Astumian has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). His selection brings the number of full-time UMaine faculty members named AAAS Fellows to 10.

Annually, AAAS, the world’s largest scientific society, recognizes researchers who advance scientifically or socially distinguished science. Astumian was cited for significant contributions to the field of biological and synthetic molecular motors; particularly, for clarifying the role of microscopic reversibility in governing molecular machines.

His award-winning research focuses on biophysics, condensed matter physics, and chemically driven molecular machines. His work was cited in the scientific background for this year’s chemistry Nobel prize on synthetic molecular machines.

Astumian joined UMaine’s Department of Physics and Astronomy in 2001. A fellow of the American Physical Society, Astumian’s honors include the Galvani Prize of the Bioelectrochemical Society, the Humboldt Prize in 2009 and the Feynman Prize in 2011.

He is one of this year’s 391 new AAAS Fellows who will be honored at the association’s annual meeting Feb. 18 in Boston.

Contact: Margaret Nagle, 207.581.3745