Three professors named AAAS fellows

Three Northwestern University faculty members have been elected 2018 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society.

Guillermo Ameer, Jian Cao and Frederic Rasio have been recognized for their distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. They will be honored on Saturday, Feb. 16, at the 2019 AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Ameer is the Daniel Hale Williams Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering, professor of surgery in the Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering. He is recognized for his contributions to the fields of biomaterials science, tissue engineering and regenerative engineering, particularly for pioneering the development and applications of citrate-based biomaterials.

A founding board member of American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Regenerative Engineering Society and board member for the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, Ameer focuses on biomaterials, medical devices and regenerative engineering, specifically for cardiovascular, orthopedic, urological and diabetes applications. His work includes designing and evaluating biodegradable materials that promote tissue regeneration and wound healing while preventing scarring. His other interests include controlled drug, protein and gene delivery, patient-specific medical devices using 3D-printing and stem cell engineering.

Ameer is also a faculty affiliate of Northwestern’s Simpson Querrey Institute, the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and the International Institute of Nanotechnology.

Cao is the Cardiss Collins Professor of Mechanical Engineering in McCormick with courtesy appointments in the department of civil and environmental engineering and the department of materials science and engineering. She is an associate vice president for research and director of the Northwestern Initiative for Manufacturing Science and Innovation. She is recognized for her fundamental contributions to the understanding of failure mechanisms in forming processes and for innovations to advance flexible manufacturing processes.

Cao’s research group focuses on innovative manufacturing processes and systems, particularly in the areas of deformation-based processes and laser processes, such as dieless forming and additive manufacturing. Her research integrates analytical and numerical simulation methods, control and sensors, and design methodologies to advance manufacturing processes. Her current research directly impacts energy-efficient manufacturing, surface engineering and distributed manufacturing.

In 2016, Cao was the first woman to receive the Frederick W. Taylor Research Medal, the highest honor given by SME (formerly known as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers) for research excellence in the broad manufacturing field. In 2017, Cao received the Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award from ASME and Pi Tau Sigma, which recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual who graduated in mechanical engineering more than 20 years ago.

Rasio is the Joseph Cummings Professor of Physics in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics. He was recognized for his research in theoretical and computational astrophysics, including pioneering work on the dynamics of dense stellar systems and the formation and evolution of exoplanets.

Rasio studies the long-term dynamics of planetary systems, including the chaotic dynamics of multi-planet systems as they evolve over billions of years. He also studies the evolution of dense stellar clusters over the history of the universe. His most recent work focuses on gravitational wave sources and the formation of massive black holes.

Founded in 1848, AAAS includes nearly 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. It publishes the journal Science, which has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world. The non-profit AAAS (www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement and more.