AAS Fellows

AAS Fellow Pin The AAS Fellows program was established in 2019 (read our press release) to recognize AAS members for their contributions toward the Society's mission of enhancing and sharing humanity's scientific understanding of the universe. Fellows may be cited for original research and publication, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy and to the Society itself.

Eligibility: See the latest list of AAS members who are eligible this year.

The following individuals shall be ineligible for election to Fellow:

Current members of the Selection Committee
Members of the AAS Board of Trustees
Current AAS Division officer
Current full-time employee of the AAS
Any individual involved in the nomination of members of the Selection Committee.

Categories for recognition include:

original research and publication,
significant innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to teaching,
public education, or
service to astronomy and for the American Astronomical Society.

Self-nominations are allowed. Nominations are open and will be due on 30 June 2024.

Visit the Fellows Nomination Page on the AAS OpenWater Portal

Frequently Asked Questions About the AAS Fellows Program

Margaret Burbidge

Inaugural Fellow

AAS Fellows Class of 2024

Press Release (1 February 2024)

RECIPIENT	INSTITUTION	CITATION
Fred Adams	University of Michigan	For the development of innovative and enduring advancements to theoretical models of the formation of stellar and planetary systems, insightful investigations into the genesis and evolution of cosmological structures, and dedicated service to the dynamical astronomy community.
Andrew Baker	Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	For essential work in fundamental radio and submillimeter studies of dusty star-forming galaxies at high redshift, leadership of international collaborations, an exemplary record of service to the field, and inspirational mentorship to the next generation of astrophysicists.
Bonnie Buratti	NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology	For fundamental insights into the origin and nature of small-body surfaces using both space- and ground-based facilities, tireless devotion to the planetary science community, and wise and supportive mentorship of young scientists.
Raymond Carlberg	University of Toronto	For major contributions to observational cosmological measurements of clusters of galaxies at intermediate redshift, the measurement of the dark energy equation of state using supernovae, dynamical simulations of galaxies in a cosmological context, and leadership of Canada’s participation in the Thirty Meter Telescope project.
Steven Federman	University of Toledo	For innovative and detailed investigations into the chemical composition and structure of interstellar gas in our galaxy, employing high-resolution observations and lab experiments, and many years of dedicated service to the global astronomical community.
Peter Garnavich	University of Notre Dame	For innovative work on supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and cataclysmic variables that has proven essential to furthering our understanding of various astrophysical phenomena; leadership in observational collaborations; and tireless devotion to students and the astronomical community.
Scott Gaudi	The Ohio State University	For key scientific contributions to the development of the field of exoplanet detection and characterization, extensive public service leadership in exoplanet science via community building, and strategic and mission planning.
JA Grier	Planetary Science Institute	For over two decades of commitment to advancing accessibility, inclusion, and diversity within the scientific community; and for important advances in planetary sciences, particularly in the area of lunar optical maturity effects.
Amanda Hendrix	Planetary Science Institute	For wide-ranging studies illuminating thermal, irradiative, and exogenic processing of various species on small body surfaces in the solar system; management of complex autonomous science systems; and devoted service to the planetary and space science communities.
Larry Lebofsky	Planetary Science Institute	For pioneering research in small-body astrometry and spectroscopy, service to the astronomical community, and a long history of dedication to education and public engagement, particularly with adult trainers of the Girl Scouts of the USA through JWST/NIRCam's education program.
Matthew Malkan	University of California, Los Angeles	For original and creative contributions to a range of subfields related to the evolution of galaxies and quasars, for developing international collaborations within the astronomical community, and for making vital contributions to US science policy and science education.
Robert Mathieu	University of Wisconsin–Madison	For seminal research on solar-type binary stars in clusters and associations, ranging from protostellar disks and pre-main-sequence binaries to diverse stellar evolution paths, and for establishing a nation-wide university network focused on developing the teaching and mentoring skills of future STEM faculty.
Karen Meech	University of Hawaiʻi	For ground-breaking research on solar and extrasolar comets and water distribution in the solar system, organization of large international observing teams, development and management of planetary science programs for teachers, and many years of service to the astronomical community.
Smadar Naoz	University of California, Los Angeles	For transformational contributions to theoretical astrophysics, particularly significant and innovative works on cosmology and triple-body dynamics; for relentless devotion to the astrophysical community and students; and for an impeccable record of service to both astronomy and society.
Priyamvada Natarajan	Yale University	For seminal contributions to our understanding of the nature of dark matter and black hole physics, and for the development of a brand-new framework that enables mapping the detailed distribution of dark matter on small scales within galaxy clusters using gravitational lensing.
Robert Nelson	Planetary Science Institute	For key contributions to the Voyager and Cassini missions, ground-breaking studies of the opposition effect and laboratory work on the microscopic properties of planetary regoliths, leadership in the scientific community, public advocacy for science, and staunch defense of the privacy rights of scientists.
Glenn Orton	NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology	For pioneering work and continuous dedication to the observation and interpretation of images and spectra of the giant planets obtained using ground-based and space-based telescopes, and for mentoring over 270 students at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the art of observational astronomy.
Ata Sarajedini	Florida Atlantic University	For contributions to the field of resolved stellar populations as applied to the formation and evolution of star clusters and galaxies, extensive service to the astronomical community through leadership of committees, and outstanding efforts in public outreach such as hosting the "Astronomy Minute" podcast.
David Wilner	Center for Astrophysics \| Harvard & Smithsonian	For fundamental contributions to the understanding of star formation, protoplanetary disks, and debris disks; for critical contributions to the improvement of aperture synthesis observations and techniques; and for dedicated mentorship of generations of undergraduate and graduate students.
Grace Wolf-Chase	Planetary Science Institute	For outstanding and sustained work to bring the wonders of astronomical research to the general public, especially to diverse religious communities; and for significant investigations into bipolar molecular outflows within star-forming regions through multi-wavelength observations and analyses.
Stephen Zepf	Michigan State University	For foundational contributions to the understanding of extragalactic globular cluster systems and the compact populations within them, their formation, and the formation history of their host galaxies; and for unmatched service to the astronomical community.

AAS Fellows Class of 2023

Press Release (8 February 2023)

RECIPIENT	INSTITUTION	CITATION
Marcel A. Agüeros	Columbia University	For the combined impact of his innovative observational work on the rotational, magnetic, and related properties of low-mass main-sequence stars, and for his deep commitment to increasing the diversity of the astronomical community.
Alice Allen	University of Maryland; Astrophysics Source Code Library	For her great insight, deep knowledge, leading advocacy, and inspiring achievements involving open-source astronomy software; for making astronomy more efficient by creating avenues to release and cite research software; and for building, editing, and promoting the Astrophysics Source Code Library, a pioneering code repository that now registers more than 2,000 of the most useful codes in astronomy and astrophysics.
Gibor Broitman Basri	University of California, Berkeley	For sustained contributions in the areas of accretion onto T Tauri stars, studies of stellar rotation and activity, direct detection of stellar magnetic fields, discovery and pioneering work on brown dwarfs and lithium dating, and service to the AAS as the founding chair of the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy and co-chair of the 2018 Task Force on Diversity in Graduate Education.
Karen S. Bjorkman	University of Toledo	For important contributions to the study of Be stars and applications of astronomical polarimetry; strong leadership in education and in public outreach especially through Universe in the Park; a dedicated commitment to increasing diversity in astrophysics; and notable service to the astronomical community and her university.
Geoffrey A. Blake	California Institute of Technology	For his fundamental contributions to observational studies of the chemistry of the interstellar medium, star-forming regions, disks, comets, and exoplanetary atmospheres; for pioneering advances in laboratory astrophysics; and for long-standing efforts to build inclusive ties between these communities.
Tereasa G. Brainerd	Boston University	For pioneering work in the use of weak gravitational lensing to measure the structure of individual galaxies; significant service to the Society in committee roles and on the Board of Trustees; and leading the Institute for Astrophysical Research and the Department of Astronomy at Boston University to a significant expansion in research in observational astronomy.
Paul D. Feldman*	Johns Hopkins University	For pioneering ultraviolet spectroscopic investigations of diverse astronomical sources using a variety of ground- and space-based platforms, and for more than four decades of mentorship and service to the planetary science community.
Jonathan P. Gardner	NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center	For exceptional community service and scientific leadership of the JWST science teams in his role as Deputy Senior Project Scientist, leading to flight hardware exceeding all requirements.
Andrew I. Harris	University of Maryland	For the development of innovative radio-, millimeter-, and submillimeter-wavelength instrumentation, and for insightful studies of the star-forming interstellar medium in our galaxy and in galaxies across cosmic time.
Lee W. Hartmann	University of Michigan	For pioneering work in characterizing the physics of molecular clouds, young stars, and planet formation, and for extensive service and leadership within the AAS and the broader astronomical community.
Elizabeth Lada	University of Florida	For pioneering the use of infrared array detectors to push ground-based infrared imaging limits and survey giant molecular clouds for obscured populations of young stars; for transformative work on a broad range of problems in star formation including constraining the initial mass function within giant molecular clouds and performing the first robust measurements of the frequency and lifetimes of circumstellar disks in young clusters; and for extensive service to the astronomical community as a member of many boards and committees.
James M. Lattimer	State University of New York, Stony Brook	For original and seminal contributions to the nuclear astrophysics subjects of neutron star structure and evolution, including helping to develop the first detailed simulations of proto-neutron stars and their neutrino emissions, as well as the first open-source equation-of-state code and tables suitable for high-performance numerical simulations.
Claus Leitherer	Space Telescope Science Institute	For his significant contribution to the understanding of massive stars in star-forming galaxies by providing numerical models and spectral templates to the astronomical community, advancing our understanding of the observed properties of nearby galaxies and the expected properties of distant galaxies; for incorporating innovative stellar atmospheres into population synthesis models, enhancing our understanding the far-ultraviolet radiation field of star clusters and galaxies; and for considerable service to the community.
Jeffrey Linsky	University of Colorado	For decades of innovative studies of the heliosphere and the local interstellar medium; for his models of stellar chromospheres; for productive observing programs on multiple satellites; for establishing the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in the local disk, among other scientific contributions; and for his decades of service to the astronomical community.
Makenzie B. Lystrup	Ball Aerospace	For her guidance, influence, and technical leadership that contributed to multiple missions and instruments, including the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer mission and the Wide Field Instrument for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope; for her years of service to the AAS, particularly on the Committee for Astronomy and Public Policy; and for her service to the broader science and aerospace communities.
Antonella Nota	International Space Science Institute/European Space Agency/Space Telescope Science Institute	For extraordinary scientific leadership and service to the international astronomy community, facilitating a key partnership between NASA and the European Space Agency, and for inspiring and engaging the public with the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Bharat Ratra	Kansas State University	For pioneering research in cosmology and particle astrophysics leading to the development of dynamical dark energy models and for sustained commitments to science education, undergraduate research, and science popularization at all levels.
Joan T. Schmelz	Universities Space Research Association	For her significant record of service and leadership within AAS including Vice President of AAS, chair of the Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy, and editor of the AASWOMEN newsletter and STATUS magazine; and for her work as an advocate, fighting sexual harassment in astronomy and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.
Nicholas B. Suntzeff	Texas A&M University	For his transformational leadership in the foundation of supernova cosmology, the discovery of the accelerated expansion of the universe, and precision measurements of the Hubble-Lemaître flow; for his service to the national and international astronomical communities; for considerable efforts on behalf of human rights, especially the LGBTQ community, both within astronomy and globally; and for establishing the astronomy program at Texas A&M University.
David A. Weintraub	Vanderbilt University	For his groundbreaking, multifrequency studies of the disks around young stars and his demonstration that most planetary nebulae are bipolar in structure, as well as for his work in communicating astronomy to the public and training others to do so.
Gillian Wilson	University of California, Riverside	For pioneering innovative techniques and significant contributions to interpreting the fundamental physics of galaxy clusters, massive galaxies, and cosmology; and for exceptional leadership in research administration, broadening participation, and outreach.
Edward L. Wright	University of California, Los Angeles	For key contributions to the experimental design and data analysis for the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite, and for scientific leadership as the principal investigator of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission.

* ^{The AAS Fellows Selection Committee}^{was saddened to learn of the death of Paul Feldman after his nomination. Given the circumstances, the Board of Trustees voted to proceed with Dr. Feldman’s recognition posthumously.}

AAS Fellows Class of 2022

Press Release (5 January 2022)

RECIPIENT	INSTITUTION	CITATION
Gary Bernstein	University of Pennsylvania	For advancing the state of the art in optical surveys through contributions to instrumentation, theory, algorithms, and project development; leadership in developing weak gravitational lensing as a precision measure of the dark universe; and discoveries in the outer solar system.
Alan Boss	Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science	For innovative theoretical investigations of the formation of stars and exoplanets, particularly for advancing the theory of gravitational instability in the rapid formation of gas giants planets. For great commitment to confronting exoplanet formation theory with observations, including his work on the Kepler Mission Science Team, and for his tireless leadership within the exoplanet exploration community in ensuring that NASA executes a credible and successful exoplanet program.
Hsiao-Wen Chen	The University of Chicago	For fundamental work using quasar absorption-line observations to study the halo gas content of galaxies.
Kelle Cruz	CUNY Hunter College	For her continuous dedication to the betterment of the scientific process and community. Her efforts include starting the AstroBetter blog — which has become a regular visitation site for Astronomers looking for tricks of the trade and advice on best practices — serving important leadership roles within the AAS such as chair of the Employment Committee (2010-2017) and Board member from 2017-2020, and authoring seminal papers in brown dwarf science.
Imke de Pater	University of California, Berkeley	For innovative observations of bodies in our Solar System using cutting-edge instrumentation across the electromagnetic spectrum, and in-depth modeling of the data.
Jacqueline Faherty	American Museum of Natural History	For outstanding accomplishments in the study of brown dwarfs and directly imaged exoplanets; a dedication to public outreach; and for service as an advocate, role model, and mentor to astronomers from underrepresented groups.
Henry Ferguson	Space Telescope Science Institute	For scientific, technical, and community leadership of surveys of the distant universe with the Hubble Space Telescope, in combination with other facilities.
George Helou	Caltech/IPAC	For significant contributions to our understanding of the infrared universe and enabling community access to data from Spitzer, Herschel, Planck, and other missions.
Luis Ho	Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University	For pioneering multiwavelength searches for active galactic nuclei powered by black holes, including those in small galaxies, and for leadership that is shaping China’s emergence as a world power in astronomy.
Judith T. Karpen	NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center	For her sustained contributions to understanding the formation and dynamics of the solar corona and wind.
Richard Klein	University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	For broad and influential contributions to computational astrophysics, including the pioneering development of block structured adaptive mesh refinement, for scientific achievements on radiatively-driven stellar winds and star formation theory, and for training of a generation of students and postdoctoral scholars.
Richard Kron	The University of Chicago	For pioneering photometric studies of high-redshift galaxies and for service to the astronomy community through his dedicated career of leadership of optical surveys, particularly the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Dark Energy Survey.
Charles Lada	Center for Astrophysics \| Harvard & Smithsonian	For a distinguished career investigating the formation of stars and for pioneering advances on our understanding of molecular clouds, sequential star formation, molecular outflows, evolution of young stellar objects, circumstellar disks, embedded clusters, and star formation rates and histories.
Chung-Pei Ma	University of California at Berkeley	For pioneering contributions to wide-ranging theoretical and observational studies of black holes, galaxy evolution and dynamics, and cosmology.
Philip Massey	Lowell Observatory	For fundamental observational work on luminous stars in the Local Group and nearby galaxies, including red supergiants and most especially Wolf-Rayet stars, and insights on the IMF and evolution of these objects as a function of their environments; and for multiple altruistic contributions to the health and vitality of our field.
Harold McAlister	Georgia State University	For pioneering work in high angular resolution astronomy including the discovery of thousands of visual binary stars through speckle interferometry and the construction of the CHARA Array optical long baseline interferometer that has obtained some of the first resolved images of the surfaces of stars; for the founding of the Georgia State University Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy; and for a decade of leadership of the historic Mount Wilson Observatory.
Lucy McFadden	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Retired	For her research incorporating both ground-based and space-based observations of near-Earth asteroids and comets, including compositional studies of near-Earth asteroids and the implications for their origins; her long service to both the AAS and the DPS; and her commitment to the organization of educational opportunities in science and technology for students ranging from grade school to undergraduate college levels.
Victoria Meadows	University of Washington	For her pioneering work in developing the field of exoplanet astrobiology, including decades of scientific leadership and service, and an exceptional commitment to training the next generation of astrobiologists. For founding the Virtual Planetary Laboratory in 2001 and leading the decades-long development of the massively interdisciplinary modeling framework and community needed to establish the science of exoplanet astrobiology.
C. Robert O'Dell	Vanderbilt University	For his efforts as founding Project Scientist in bringing the Hubble Space Telescope and the Space Telescope Science Institute from formulation to fruition and his multi-wavelength studies of Planetary Nebula, the Orion Nebula, and its associated proplyds.
Ilaria Pascucci	University of Arizona	For her scientific contributions to understanding how planet-forming disks evolve and disperse.
Farid Salama	NASA Ames Research Center	For his significant contributions to scientific advances in Astrophysics and Astrochemistry, in particular his work on interstellar dust and planetary atmospheres and his service to the community through his key contribution to the national and international recognition of Laboratory Astrophysics through the creation of the Laboratory Astrophysics Division of the AAS and the Laboratory Astrophysics Commission of the IAU.
John H. Thomas	University of Rochester	For important contributions to solar and stellar physics, including advancements in our understanding of the behavior of magnetic fields and theoretical and observational studies of sunspots, and for service and leadership within the AAS, as chair of the Solar Physics Division and as a scientific editor of the Astrophysical Journal.
Tommaso Treu	University of California, Los Angeles	For his discoveries on the nature of dark matter and the expansion history of the universe through innovative strong gravitational lensing observations and analysis methods.

AAS Fellows Class of 2021

Press Release (2 February 2021)

*Deceased

RECIPIENT	INSTITUTION	CITATION
Conny Aerts	KU Leuven, Belgium	For pioneering work in the area of asteroseismology.
Amy Barger	University of Wisconsin-Madison	For the discovery of distant, dusty, star-forming galaxies and obscured supermassive black holes using multiwavelength observations.
Peter Boyce	American Astronomical Society, Retired	For establishing the AAS Executive Office in Washington, DC, and setting a high standard of service to the Society’s members and the broader astronomical community.
Catherine Cesarsky	Saclay Nuclear Research Centre, France	For a career of exceptional leadership in astronomy.
You-Hua Chu	Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica	For her pioneering work on multiwavelength studies of stellar energy feedback and her extensive service to the American and international astronomical communities.
Anita Cochran	University of Texas at Austin	For her research addressing the molecular composition and structure of comets and her decades of service to the community.
Françoise Combes	Collège de France	For extraordinary contributions to the field of radio astronomy, in particular contributions to the discovery of carbon monoxide outside our Milky Way.
Wanda Díaz-Merced	National Astronomical Observatory of Japan	For significant and innovative leadership in increasing access to astronomy for people who have lost their eyesight.
Frank Drake*	SETI Institute	For pioneering a novel, practical, and durable scheme for uncovering intelligence elsewhere in the cosmos.
Gary J. Ferland	University of Kentucky	For his innovative work in developing and applying the Cloudy spectral synthesis code to understand physical processes in the interstellar medium.
Alexei V. Filippenko	University of California, Berkeley	For his seminal contributions to studies of black holes, active galaxies, supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and the accelerating expansion of the universe and for his success in educating the general public about astronomy.
Joshua Frieman	Fermilab / University of Chicago	For significant theoretical work on inflationary cosmology and dark energy and for pioneering contributions to optical survey science.
John S. Gallagher III	University of Wisconsin-Madison	For multimessenger studies of the properties of extragalactic systems, contributions to the development of key observational capabilities, and his work as longtime Editor of the Astronomical Journal.
Philip R. Goode	New Jersey Institute of Technology	For pioneering work in helioseismology and for leadership in university-based solar physics.
John Grunsfeld	NASA, Retired	For risking life and limb in the service of fellow astronomers; lifelong contributions to astronomy and astrophysics in scientific research, instrumentation, and leadership; and as a global ambassador of astronomy.
Puragra Guhathakurta	University of California, Santa Cruz	For seminal contributions to studies of galaxy formation and evolution and stellar populations as well as a lifetime of dedicated service to the training of young scientists.
Heidi Hammel	Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy	For significant contributions to planetary science, in particular her work on Uranus, Neptune, and impacts upon Jupiter, and for leadership in science management.
John Hawley*	University of Virginia	For pioneering work in computational astrophysics and its application to studies of accretion disks and jets.
John P. Hughes	Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	For outstanding accomplishments in X-ray astronomy, including critical contributions to the development of the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Roberta Humphreys	University of Minnesota	For a distinguished scientific career studying massive stars and for a long history of significant scientific leadership.
Garth D. Illingworth	University of California, Santa Cruz	For path-breaking studies of infant galaxies at the dawn of the universe, lifelong service to the astronomical community, and astute guidance on the national and international scene.
Rachel Ivie	American Institute of Physics	For a groundbreaking career of statistical studies tracking important diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the astronomical sciences.
Victoria Kaspi	McGill University, Canada	For innovative work in the field of neutron stars and pulsars.
Mark S. Marley	NASA Ames Research Center	For innovative and foundational contributions to a remarkable diversity of topics within planetary, exoplanetary, and substellar object science.
Matt Mountain	Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy	For exceptional leadership enabling research across the electromagnetic spectrum, and for promoting the advance of astronomy and scientific inquiry to policy makers worldwide.
Richard Mushotzky	University of Maryland	For his leadership in X-ray and multiwavelength imaging, timing, and spectroscopy focusing on the physics of black hole accretion, evolution of the elements, and cosmology.
Rita Sambruna	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center	For exceptional contributions to the fundamental understanding of relativistic jets from supermassive black holes, for being an ally to, and role model for, underrepresented groups in the field; and for leadership and service.
Daniel Wolf Savin	Columbia University	For wide-ranging contributions to astrophysically motivated atomic and molecular collision studies and for his extensive service to the AAS and the laboratory astrophysics community.
Harold Weaver	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory	For pioneering spectroscopic techniques to quantify the abundances of cometary volatiles and for significant contributions to solar system studies with the Hubble Space Telescope and the New Horizons and Rosetta spacecraft.
Belinda Wilkes	Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory	For dedicated leadership of the astronomical community as director of the Chandra X-ray Center.
Ellen Zweibel	University of Wisconsin-Madison	For extraordinary and sustained contributions to theoretical plasma astrophysics and community leadership.

AAS Fellows Class of 2020 (Legacy Fellows)

Press Release (25 February 2020)