Among those honored in 2009 by the American Institute for Biological Sciences for their outstanding contributions to the biological sciences were three members of NCSE. In a joint statement quoted in a May 15, 2009, press release, AIBS President May Berenbaum and Executive Director Richard O'Grady said, "AIBS is pleased to honor such exceptional and dedicated individuals. Though they are from diverse backgrounds, they have all made significant positive contributions to the field of biology." They will receive their awards in a special ceremony at the AIBS annual meeting, "Sustainable Agriculture: Greening the Global Food Supply," in Arlington, Virginia, on May 18, 2009.
Joe Felsenstein, Professor of Genome Sciences and Biology at the University of Washington, will receive the Distinguished Scientist Award. Robert T. Pennock, Professor of Philosophy at Michigan State University, will receive the Outstanding Service Award; AIBS cited his book Tower of Babel (MIT Press, 1999) as well as his testimony in Kitzmiller v. Dover. And NCSE Supporter Bruce Alberts, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco, editor-in-chief of the journal Science, and past president of the National Academy of Sciences, will receive the AIBS Education Award. Congratulations to all three!