STScI Astronomers Nancy Levenson and David Soderblom Elected AAAS Fellows

FOR RELEASE: 1:00 pm (EST) November 21, 2016

RELEASE: STScI-PR16-46

STScI Astronomers Nancy Levenson and David Soderblom Elected AAAS Fellows

Newswise — The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Council has elected Nancy A. Levenson and David R. Soderblom of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, and 389 other AAAS members as Fellows of the AAAS. Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers. STScI is the science operations center for the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is scheduled to launch in 2018.

Dr. Levenson is cited by the AAAS for her exemplary service and distinguished contributions to the field of astrophysics as Deputy Director of the international Gemini Observatory in La Serena, Chile. She started her appointment as STScI's Deputy Director in November 2016, and her research interests include active and star-forming galaxies, dust obscuration, and X-ray astrophysics.

Dr. Soderblom is cited by the AAAS for his distinguished work in the field of astrophysics, with contributions to understanding low-mass stars and exoplanet searches. An Astronomer at STScI since 1984, Soderblom is also a Principal Research Scientist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. His research interests include stars like the sun, their age-related properties, and methods for age-dating stars, in general.

This year's AAAS Fellows will be formally announced in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science on November 25, 2016.

The new Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on February 18, 2017, at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2017 AAAS annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

For photos and more information, visit:

http://www.aaas.org/newshttp://hubblesite.org/news/2016/46

For additional information, contact:

Cheryl GundySpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland410-338-4707[email protected]