David Masiello Named AAAS Fellow

David J. Masiello, professor of chemistry, has been named an AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in recognition of “scientifically and socially distinguished achievements” in science. 

Becoming an AAAS Fellow is among the most distinct honors within the scientific community, and those elevated to the rank have made distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. AAAS Fellows play a crucial role in shaping public policy, advancing scientific research, and influencing national and global perspectives on critical issues, and all fellows are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

Masiello, an applied physicist, was honored for distinguished contributions to the theoretical understanding of nanoscale light-matter interactions, particularly for the design and interpretation of advanced spectroscopies that use electrons and light to probe material excitations. His research focuses on creating simple-yet-rich theoretical models that bring insight and understanding to observations spanning from quantum materials to nanophotonics. In addition to being a professor of chemistry, Masiello is a faculty member in the Molecular & Engineering Sciences Institute and the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems, and is an adjunct professor of applied mathematics and of materials science and engineering. His previous honors include receiving an NSF CAREER Award and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

Three other UW faculty join Masiello in being named AAA Fellows this year: David Baker, professor of biochemistry at the UW School of Medicine and the director of the UW Medicine Institute for Protein Design (who also holds an adjunct appointment in physics in the College of Arts & Sciences); Elizabeth Buffalo, professor and chair of neurobiology and biophysics at the UW School of Medicine; and Maitreya Dunham, professor and chair of genome sciences at the UW School of Medicine.