Rita R. Colwell, a microbiologist and president of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, has been named president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She assumed the title on February 24, directly after AAAS's annual meeting in San Francisco.
Colwell, who will become the president in 1995, is the seventh woman president-elect of AAAS, the world's largest general scientific organization.
"The goals that they've [AAAS] set for themselves are goals that I fully endorse," says Colwell, referring to the organization's objectives for the future, such as developing a series of forums on science policy and future directions for science and technology.
Colwell says that when she becomes president, one of her key roles will be to find ways to more broadly communicate to researchers, policymakers, and AAAS members some of the less well-known programs of the organization.
"Everyone thinks of Science magazine, but AAAS is active...
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