Douglas Rhoads named AAAS Fellow

University Professor Douglas Rhoads chosen by his scientific peers for one of the highest distinctions by advancing science and service to society.

2023-02-21

(Press-News.org) University Professor Douglas Rhoads has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.

As one of only 20 fellows representing the Section on Agriculture, Food & Renewable Resources, Rhoads was chosen by his peers and colleagues for advancing science and its applications in service to society. The organization elected a total of 505 fellows across 24 scientific sections.

Rhoads is director of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, a graduate degree program he helped establish at the University of Arkansas. With 119 faculty from four colleges, Cell and Molecular Biology has grown into one of the largest doctoral programs on campus. His faculty appointment is in Fulbright College’s Department of Biological Sciences, and he is an affiliated faculty member in the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science.

Rhoads’ research has focused on genetics and genomics in a variety of species, including yeast, bears, tomatoes, fungi, rice, scorpions, snakes and bacteria. For many years, he has focused primarily on genetics and genomics of metabolic diseases of chickens. He has also published more than 80 scientific articles and reports on these topics.

Rhoads has won many teaching and research awards at the U of A. These include:
•   Master Researcher Award, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, 2021
•   Outstanding Graduate Mentor and Educator Award, Teaching and Faculty Support Center, 2019
•   University of Arkansas Teaching Academy, 2018
•   John Imhoff Award for faculty research publication, 2018
•   Graduate School Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, 2017
•   Collis R. Geren Award for faculty commitment to graduate programs, 2017
•   John Imhoff Award for faculty research publication, 2016
•   Academic Advising Council Outstanding Faculty Advisor, 2012

As a teacher and mentor, Rhoads has had a significant impact on thousands of U of A students, including alumna Tameka Bailey, currently assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.

“The ongoing mentorship that I received from Dr. Rhoads changed the trajectory of my life,” Bailey said. “He understood that as an underrepresented minority from rural Arkansas, I would need extensive and engaging mentorship to be successful in the program. He challenged me to excel in graduate school, and he had high expectations for me.

“After I graduated from the U of A, he helped me find my first job, advised me through my postdoc and has been instrumental in my career development now as a faculty member,” Bailey said “I wouldn’t be here without the generosity, wisdom and compassion of Dr. Rhoads.”

AAAS fellows are recognized for their extraordinary achievements across many disciplines. Examples of areas in which nominees may have made significant contributions are research, teaching, technology, services to professional societies, academic administration, industry, government, and communicating and interpreting science to the public. Fellows are elected annually by the AAAS Council from the list of approved nominations from the Section Steering Groups.

Rhoads received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology at Wichita State University and his PhD at Kansas State University. He joined the U of A in 1990. In 2015, he rose to the rank of University Professor.

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Douglas Rhoads named AAAS Fellow

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