April 19, 2011

Three UCSB Faculty Members Elected Fellows of AGU

Gail Gallessich

Three professors at UC Santa Barbara –– Ralph Archuleta, John Melack, and Oliver Chadwick –– have been elected as Fellows of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

According to the AGU, election as a Fellow is a special tribute for those who have made exceptional scientific contributions. Nominated Fellows must have attained acknowledged eminence in the Earth and space sciences. This designation is conferred upon not more than 0.1 percent of all AGU members in any given year. New Fellows are chosen by a committee of Fellows.

"I am thrilled that three of our faculty have been elected to be Fellows of the AGU," said Pierre Wiltzius, dean of mathematical, life, and physical sciences. "They represent three different academic departments, in Letters and Science and the Bren School. They are Ralph Archuleta, professor and chair in the Department of Earth Science; Oliver Chadwick, professor in the Department of Geography; and John Melack, professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, and the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management."

Archuleta, who is also with UCSB's Earth Research Institute, said: "It is always an honor for one's work to be recognized by one's peers. I truly appreciate being named a Fellow of the AGU. It is a special award for anyone in the general area of geophysics. In particular, I want to thank those who saw value in my contributions and nominated me for this honor."

Melack said: "Besides being a personal honor, my selection as an AGU Fellow reflects well on the interdisciplinary research environment at UCSB which encouraged my studies combining ecology, biogeochemistry, hydrology and remote sensing in lakes and wetlands in many parts of the world."

Chadwick said: "The AGU is the best home for broad interdisciplinary research in the Earth sciences. My research encompasses a number of Earth surface disciplines ranging from ecology to geomorphology and geochemistry. Typically, I present papers in the Biogeoscience section as well as in the Earth and Planetary Surface Processes Interdisciplinary Focus Group. I am truly honored that my colleagues here at UCSB and elsewhere found it appropriate to nominate me and select me for this honor."

AGU provides a dynamic forum for Earth, atmospheric, oceanic, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists to advance research and collaborate with colleagues across disciplines. AGU has more than 60,000 members from 148 countries.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.