Two staff members at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been elected to the rank of fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. AAAS is the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society which seeks to "advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people." A designation of fellow is the society's highest honor, which has been conferred on PNNL's Morris Bullock and Jud Virden.
Morris Bullock is a laboratory fellow and the director of the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center led by PNNL. He was recognized for his contributions toward developing a comprehensive understanding of how chemical and electrical energy is stored and utilized for applications in the development of non-fossil fuel sources. He is also a fellow of the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry, and received the RSC's prestigious "Homogeneous Catalysis Award" in 2013. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Jud Virden is the associate laboratory director overseeing PNNL's energy and environmental research activities. He was recognized for his leadership in developing solutions to clean energy challenges and developing partnerships that move technology into the marketplace. In 2014 he was elected to membership in the Washington State Academy of Sciences and recognized with the University of Washington College of Chemical Engineering Moulton Distinguished Alumnus Award. He earned a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Washington.
AAAS is the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society and a leading publisher of cutting-edge research through its Science family of journals. AAAS has individual members in more than 91 countries around the globe. The organization's council annually elects members whose "efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished." Election as an AAAS fellow is determined by peer reviewers. Fellows are honored for "meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications." AAAS began honoring its distinguished members with the title of fellow in 1874.
PNNL now has 38 active staff members who hold the rank of AAAS fellow. Bullock and Virden will be recognized with the rest of the 2016 class of fellows at the AAAS annual meeting in Boston in February.