Prosper Boyaka, PhD, selected as AAAS Fellow

Prosper Boyaka, PhD, Chair of the Department of Veterinary Biosciences at Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine, is one of nine Ohio State scientists in disciplines ranging from astrophysics to parasitic diseases who have been elected to the 2024 class of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellows. 

The AAAS Fellowship, recognizing scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications, is one of the most prestigious honors a U.S. scientist can receive. Fellows are elected by their academic peers.  

“Ohio State’s newly elected Fellows have devoted their professional lives to protecting health, investigating complex principles of physics, and analyzing social behavior and labor economics,” said Peter Mohler, executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge. “The American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellowship is an important acknowledgment of the key role scientists play in solving critical problems and improving lives.”  

The 2024 class consists of 471 scientists, engineers and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines.  

Ohio State’s newest Fellows represent the colleges of Arts and Sciences; Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Medicine; and Veterinary Medicine. This year’s class, joining over 540 Ohio State scholars who have been granted this lifetime recognition since 1874, are:  

John Beacom, professor of astronomy and physics. For distinguished contributions to the fields of nuclear and particle astrophysics, particularly regarding neutrinos.

Pierluigi (Enrico) Bonello, professor of molecular and chemical ecology of trees in the Department of Plant Pathology. For distinguished contributions to the fields of forest pathology, chemical ecology, tree disease resistance and early detection of tree infections.

Prosper Boyaka, professor and chair of veterinary biosciences. For distinguished contributions to the field of mucosal immunology, particularly in the field of vaccinology to develop alternative novel strategies to optimize protective immunity to pathogens at mucosal surfaces.

David Robert Cole, professor of earth sciences and Ohio Research Scholar. For distinguished contributions to the field of subsurface mineralogy and geochemistry from the molecular to the geological formation scale.

Ian Hamilton, professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology and mathematics. For distinguished contributions to the fields of behavioral ecology and complexity science in both theory and empirical studies.

Chun Ning Jeanie Lau, professor of physics. For distinguished experimental contributions to the field of 2D van der Waals materials, leading to new insights into the thermal, mechanical and electronic properties, and emergent phases in few-layer graphene.

Roland Kenji Kawakami, professor of physics. For seminal contributions to spintronics and magnetism in two-dimensional materials, and for the investigation of epitaxial magnetic films and heterostructures using molecular beam epitaxy and surface-sensitive characterizations.

Abhay Satoskar, professor of pathology and microbiology. For distinguished contributions to the field of parasitology, particularly mechanisms of immunity and immune evasion in leishmaniasis and development of novel therapies and vaccines for this disease.

Bruce Weinberg, professor of economics. For distinguished contributions to the field of labor economics, particularly for a multidisciplinary approach to studying creativity and innovation, socioeconomic determinants of youth outcomes and technological impact on wage structure.

Fellows are recognized for their achievements across disciplines, from research, teaching and technology to administration in academia, industry and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public.

The 2024 class of Fellows will be honored at a forum in Washington, D.C., in June.