Three UCSB professors were among those awarded the distinction of Fellow last month by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Fellows, a prestigious honor bestowed on members by their peers, are selected for their efforts to advance science, or for innovations and applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.

The Section on Engineering named David D. Awschalom, professor of physics, for outstanding research in the fields of optical and magnetic interactions in semiconductor quantum structures and implementations of quantum information processing in the solid state. He directs UCSB’s Center for Spintronics and Quantum Computation, and is associate director of the California NanoSystems Institute.

The Section on Medical Sciences named Charles E. Samuel, professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, for pioneering studies in the interferon field, particularly analyses that provided understanding of how interferons inhibit virus multiplication and how viruses antagonize interferon action. Samuel served as the founding chair of the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.

The Section on Chemistry named Alec N. Wodtke, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry, for distinguished contributions to the understanding of the chemical properties of highly vibrationally excited molecules in collisions, stratospheric ozone formation, and interactions with metal surfaces. Wodtke has been chair of the department since 2003.