By Scout Nelson
Two Kansas State University professors have earned one of the highest honors in U.S. science. Eduard Akhunov and Bimal Paul were named 2024 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Akhunov, a university distinguished professor of plant pathology and chair in wheat genetics, was recognized “for development and use of resources for understanding wheat genome diversity and evolution, and for identification of novel genes for wheat improvement, including combating the important wheat stem rust pathogen.”
"I feel deeply honored to be selected as an AAAS Fellow," said Akhunov. "I am grateful that the tremendous work carried out by my former and current research team members, as well as our collaborators, is being recognized by our peers."
Bimal Paul, professor of geography and Fulbright-Flex Senior Fellow, received recognition “for distinguished contributions to the field of human geography, particularly human adjustment to natural hazards.”
"I've dreamed of being selected as an AAAS Fellow ever since I arrived at K-State in 1990," Paul said. "Through both theoretical and empirical research, I have contributed to my field by integrating social sciences and humanities with the physical sciences to address environmental concerns effectively and holistically, including various dimensions of nature-society interactions."
Each year, the AAAS Council elects new fellows who are honored at the association’s annual forum. This year’s event will take place in June in Washington, D.C.
With their selection, Akhunov and Paul join a respected group of AAAS Fellows, which includes 26 current and emeritus K-State faculty members.
“Being named a 2024 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science is a well-deserved recognition of the groundbreaking contributions Drs. Akhunov and Paul have made in their fields,” said Hans Coetzee.
Photo Credits:kansas-state-university.
Categories: Kansas, Crops, Wheat