Mia K. Markey, associate professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Markey is one of three faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin that has been elected an AAAS fellow.

AAAS fellows are chosen annually by their peers to recognize their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

The 2013 fellows from The University of Texas at Austin are:

Mia K. Markey, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the Cockrell School. Markey was recognized for her seminal contributions to bioinformatics and imaging physics to improve the detection of cancer, and for leadership in biomedical engineering education. Markey directs the Biomedical Informatics Lab (BMIL) in its mission to design cost-effective, computational decision aids. The BMIL develops decision support systems for clinical decision making and scientific discovery using artificial intelligence and signal processing technologies.

Ron Elber, professor of chemistry in the College of Natural Sciences. Elber was recognized for his groundbreaking work on the development of computer simulation methodologies, and their applications to complex biological systems. Elber’s research focuses on algorithm development and computational prediction of the structure, function and dynamics of biomolecules. His group recently developed a quantitative non-Markovian theory (milestoning) that extracts information from short-time dynamics and allows the calculation of long-time biologically relevant processes.

William H. Press, professor of computer science and integrative biology in the College of Natural Sciences. Press was recognized for a lifetime of national service to computations, physics, astronomy and interdisciplinary science as a professor, national lab deputy director, and in many other roles. Press does research in computational biology, especially whole genome statistical studies. His interests include fast numerical and statistical algorithms, data mining, pattern recognition, the interdisciplinary application of mathematical and statistical methods across the physical and biological sciences, and to societal issues including international security.

The new fellows will be honored during the AAAS Fellows Forum at the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting in Chicago on Feb. 15. They join 66 previously honored AAAS fellows at The University of Texas at Austin.