ANN ARBOR—Nine University of Michigan faculty members are among 503 newly elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), who are honored for their distinguished efforts in advancing science, AAAS announced today.

The new fellows are:

Kon-Well Wang, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Stephen P. Timoshenko Collegiate Professor. He is honored for his distinguished contributions to the discipline of structural dynamics, performing seminal research in multi-field tailoring of adaptive structural systems; and for providing outstanding professional leadership.

Joel Blum, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Geological Sciences and a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Blum is honored for his innovative and important contributions in trace metal and isotopic geochemistry and biogeochemistry that have significantly advanced understanding of Earth processes.

Lee Hartmann, a professor in the Department of Astronomy. He is honored for his seminal contributions to our understanding of how planets are formed around stars.

Lori Isom, a professor in the departments of Pharmacology, and Molecular and Integrative Physiology, as well as director of the Program in Biomedical Sciences at the U-M Medical School. She is honored for her discovery of the role of sodium-channel beta subunits in cell adhesion, axonal architecture, and severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy as well as for her innovative leadership in graduate education.

Farnam Jahanian, chair of computer science and engineering and the Edward S. Davidson Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He is honored for his distinguished contributions to the dependability and security of network systems.

Anna Mapp, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and director of the Program in Chemical Biology. She is honored for her fundamental studies leading to strategies for the development of small molecule transcriptional regulators, with applications as mechanistic probes and therapeutic agents.

Adam Matzger, a professor in the Department of Chemistry as well as a professor of macromolecular science and engineering in the College of Engineering. He is honored for advancing the science and technology of crystallization in areas including polymorphism, two-dimensional assembly, and porous solids.

John Montgomery, a professor in the Department of Chemistry. He is honored for fundamental studies in catalytic reductive coupling processes involving metallacyclic intermediates, which have enabled new strategies for the construction of complex, bioactive compounds.

Melanie Sanford, professor in the Department of Chemistry. She is honored for distinguished contributions to the fields of organic, organometallic, and inorganic chemistry, particularly the development and mechanistic study of new transition metal catalyzed reactions.

New fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin Feb. 19 at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2011 AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Members can be considered for the rank of fellow if nominated by the steering groups of the association’s 24 sections, or by any three fellows who are current AAAS members (as long as two of the three sponsors are not affiliated with the nominee’s institution), or by the AAAS chief executive officer. Each steering group then reviews the nominations of individuals within its respective section and a final list is forwarded to the AAAS Council, which votes on the aggregate list.

The council is the policymaking body of the association, chaired by the AAAS president, and consisting of the members of the board of directors, the retiring section chairs, delegates from each electorate and each regional division, and two delegates from the National Association of Academies of Science.