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George Sprague, University of Oregon biologist, elected 2007 AAAS Fellow
Selection made for Sprague's contributions to understanding the molecular basis of cell type determination; formal recognition comes during February's 2008 annual meeting
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George Sprague, AAAS Fellow (Photo by Zack Barnett) |
EUGENE, Ore. -- (Oct. 25, 2007) -- University of Oregon biologist George F. Sprague Jr. has been elected by his peers as a 2007 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is among 471 new members chosen for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.
The election results appear in the Oct. 26 issue of the journal Science, which is published by AAAS. Each fellow will receive a certificate and a gold-and-blue rosette pin, representing science and engineering, respectively, on Saturday, Feb. 16, during the 2008 AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston.
Sprague, head of the UO department of biology and member of the Institute of Molecular Biology, was chosen for his contributions to understanding the molecular basis of cell type determination, particularly for his studies of genetic regulatory mechanisms in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae.
"The selection of George Sprague speaks to the importance of his research contributions to our understanding of how cells respond to external signals, and the importance of these insights into the fundamental mechanisms of cancer," said Richard Linton, vice president for research and graduate studies at the University of Oregon. "George has combined outstanding research with superb leadership in the biological sciences and excellence in classroom instruction at the University of Oregon for the last 26 years. George has also played an important role in distinguished history of UO's Institute of Molecular Biology."
Sprague joined the UO in 1981. He earned a doctorate in biology in 1977 from Yale University and a bachelor's degree in biological sciences in 1969 from North Carolina State University.
The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Members are considered if they are nominated by the steering groups of the association's 24 sections, or by any three Fellows who are current AAAS members (so long as two of the three sponsors are not affiliated with the nominee's institution), or by the association's chief executive officer.
Each steering group then reviews the nominations within its respective section, and a final list is forwarded to the association's policymaking council, which casts its votes.
AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society. It was founded in 1848 and includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Its journal Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of 62 of the leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. Membership in the AAU is by invitation only. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Jim Barlow, 541-346-3481, jebarlow@uoregon.edu
Source: George Sprague, professor of biology, 541-346-5883, gsprague@molbio.uoregon.edu
Links: Sprague faculty Web page: http://www.molbio.uoregon.edu/facres/spragueg.php; UO Institute of Molecular Biology: http://molbio.uoregon.edu/; American Association for the Advancement of Science: http://www.aaas.org; about AAAS Fellows (AAAS site): http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/fellows/
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