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13 January 2025
AAS Names 24 New Fellows for 2025
PRESS RELEASE
** Contact details appear below. **
The American Astronomical Society (AAS), a major international organization of professional astronomers, astronomy educators, and amateur astronomers, is honoring 24 members for extraordinary achievement and service by naming them AAS Fellows — an honor bestowed on less than 0.5% of AAS’s membership each year. They are being recognized for original research and publications, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy and to the Society itself. Fellows receive a certificate and a lapel pin.
AAS Fellows Class of 2025
- Mitchell Begelman (University of Colorado Boulder): For pioneering analytical and computational studies of a wide range of high-energy phenomena; for the development of the “quasi-star theory” for the formation of supermassive black holes; for significant contributions to the public’s understanding of black holes through two popular books; and for tireless service and dedication to the AAS community.
- James Bell (Arizona State University): For the development of innovative imaging and spectroscopy instrumentation leading to discoveries in planetary geology using data from Mars, the Moon, and asteroids; and for communicating the value and importance of space science through service and advocacy work and public outreach.
- Alison Coil (University of California, San Diego): For original and creative contributions to our understanding of the evolution of galaxies and the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes; for uncovering the large-scale structure of galaxies in the distant universe; and for inspirational mentorship of the next generation of astrophysicists.
- August Evrard (University of Michigan): For pioneering research on large-scale structure formation with a focus on using galaxy clusters to constrain fundamental cosmological parameters. His work led to significant advancements in the mass function of dark matter halos, mass estimates for X-ray clusters, and critical constraints on the baryon content of clusters.
- Dale Gary (NJIT Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research): For outstanding national and international leadership in solar radio engineering and solar physics resulting in fundamentally new understanding of solar energetic processes that emerge from solar microwave spectroscopy, and for excellent collaborative leadership in the AAS Solar Physics Division.
- James Green (University of Colorado Boulder): For exceptional contributions to ultraviolet space astronomy; for pioneering ultraviolet spectrograph designs for FUSE and HST/COS; and for technical innovations in NASA’s Suborbital Rocket Program that enabled groundbreaking discoveries in stellar, galactic, and extragalactic astronomy and inspired a new generation of instrumentalists in academia and industry.
- Paul Hertz (NASA): For exemplary leadership and dedication to the astronomical community as NASA’s Director of Astrophysics for over a decade; for expertly overseeing the completion and launch of the James Webb Space Telescope; for championing inclusivity by initiating dual anonymous peer review; and for consistently prioritizing innovation, transparency, and excellence in all NASA programs.
- Philip Hopkins (California Institute of Technology): For seminal contributions to the understanding of galaxy formation and evolution; for technical leadership in the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) project; and for a career-long commitment to public outreach and mentoring the next generation of astronomers.
- Jason Kalirai (Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab): For taking a holistic approach to astronomical sciences by leveraging ground- and space-based telescopes to place novel constraints on astrophysical mass functions; for expertly leading and enabling new space missions including DART and Dragonfly; and for bold advocacy for astronomy and inspiring the next generation.
- Stephen Kane (University of California, Riverside): For invaluable contributions to the fields of exoplanet detection, orbital dynamics, planetary habitability, and Venus science; and for spearheading interdisciplinary collaboration between the astrophysics and planetary communities leading to new ways of characterizing planetary processes.
- Sun Kwok (University of British Columbia; The University of Hong Kong): For distinguished contributions to the understanding of the origin and evolution of planetary nebulae and studies of the synthesis of complex organic compounds by evolved stars; and for a lifetime commitment to science education and public outreach.
- Laura Lopez (Ohio State University): For outstanding research contributions in the multiwavelength study of supernovae, compact objects, star formation, the interstellar medium, and galaxy evolution; for extensive contributions in advancing equity and inclusion in astronomy and physics through transformative mentorship programs; and for nearly 20 years of national leadership in the AAS.
- Bruce Macintosh (University of California, Santa Cruz): For pioneering the science of direct imaging of exoplanets, including their discovery and spectroscopy; for leading innovative high-contrast instrumentation projects; and for mentoring the next generation of scientists and performing exceptional public service to the field of astronomy.
- Amy Mainzer (University of California, Los Angeles): For significant contributions to astrophysical instrumentation, infrared astronomy, and small-body science; for scientific leadership for the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and for serving as principal investigator for the NEOWISE project; and for extensive public outreach and community service.
- John Mulchaey (Carnegie Institution for Science): For foundational work on X-ray properties of galaxy groups and clusters; for exemplary leadership in public education and outreach; and for outstanding mentorship fostering the development of junior scientists, with a particular focus on supporting women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Norman Murray (University of Toronto): For seminal contributions to our theories of chaos in the solar system, including planet formation and evolution; and for pioneering new methods for studying the physics of black hole accretion and the effects of stars and supermassive black holes on galaxy formation.
- Mark Phillips (Carnegie Institution of Washington): For pioneering work in supernova physics and establishing Type Ia supernovae as standard candles, which enabled the accurate measurement of the Hubble-Lemaître constant and the discovery of the universe's accelerated expansion and dark energy; for improving the classification of active galaxies; and for years of service to the astronomical community.
- Alice Shapley (University of California, Los Angeles): For fundamental contributions to our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies and the intergalactic medium obtained through imaging and spectroscopic measurements of chemical enrichment, feedback, gas kinematics, and star formation in high-redshift galaxies. For relentless dedication and expert mentorship of numerous postdocs and students.
- J. Michael Shull (University of Colorado Boulder): For insightful contributions to theoretical modeling and multiwavelength observational analyses of intergalactic and interstellar gas leading to a better understanding of the early universe and primordial heavy element production; and for leadership in development of space-based observatories, as well as a career of service to the astronomical community.
- Patrick Slane (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian): For ground-breaking contributions to our understanding of the physics of supernova remnants and pulsar wind nebulae, particle acceleration, and remnant evolution through multiwavelength observations and modeling; and for 34 years of leadership in the Chandra project that enabled fundamental contributions to our knowledge of the high-energy universe.
- Rodger Thompson (University of Arizona): For groundbreaking contributions to near-infrared astronomy and Fourier Transform spectroscopy leading to better understanding of stellar nucleosynthesis, galactic formation, and the physics of active galactic nuclei; and for seminal work on the proton-to-electron mass ratio (μ) and its links to molecular physics, fundamental cosmology, and particle physics.
- David Weinberg (Ohio State University): For foundational contributions to the theory of galaxy formation, the theory and cosmological applications of the Lyman-alpha forest, and the theoretical and observational study of large-scale structure and dark energy; and for exemplary service and dedication to the astronomical community through multiple leadership roles within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
- Nicholas White (George Washington University): For his scientific leadership in making high energy astrophysics data widely available to the astronomical community, for fostering successful international collaborations, and for outstanding research in X-ray astronomy.
- Rick White (Space Telescope Science Institute): For a wide-ranging and creative program of astronomical research, including the execution of the Very Large Array FIRST survey, the development of advanced data analysis algorithms, the facilitation of community migration to the Python programming language, and advocacy for the development of robust archives to preserve astronomical scientific productivity.
The inaugural class of AAS Fellows was named in 2020; those Legacy Fellows included more than 200 Society members, including past recipients of certain awards from the AAS or its topical Divisions, distinguished AAS elected leaders and volunteer committee members, and previously unrecognized individuals with long histories of outstanding research, teaching, mentoring, and service.
“The collective successes achieved by the 2025 AAS Fellows class reflect the ongoing mission of the AAS to enhance and share humanity's scientific understanding of the universe, as represented by this diverse community,” says AAS President Dara Norman (NSF’s NOIRLab). The 2025 AAS Fellows now represent the sixth class recognized for their personal achievement and extraordinary service to the astronomical sciences and to the AAS.
For more information, see the AAS Fellows page, the AAS Fellows FAQ page, and the inaugural Fellows class press release.
Nominations for the AAS Fellows class of 2026 will open shortly and will be due on 30 June 2025.
Contacts
The American Astronomical Society (AAS), established in 1899, is a major international organization of professional astronomers, astronomy educators, and amateur astronomers. Its membership of approximately 8,000 also includes physicists, geologists, engineers, and others whose interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising the astronomical sciences. The mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe as a diverse and inclusive astronomical community, which it achieves through publishing, meetings, science advocacy, education and outreach, and training and professional development.