A professor at the University of Northern British Columbia has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the organization that publishes the journal Science, the most widely-read peer-reviewed scientific journal in the world. UNBC Ecosystem Science and Management Professor Bill McGill was elected a Fellow of AAAS for his contributions to soil science and for effective science communication to students and the public at large. He was presented with the award last month at the Annual Meeting of the AAAS in Boston.

Dr. Bill McGill in UNBC's Administration Building with his certificate of election as an AAAS Fellow and accompanying rosette pin on his jacket.

“I am honoured to be elected a Fellow of AAAS,” says Dr. McGill, who throughout his career, has given hundreds of community and scholarly presentations on soil biology and biogeochemistry. “Such recognition would be impossible without the efforts and contributions of my colleagues and students, and the support of my wife, Alice.”

Dr. McGill has been with UNBC since 2001. His current research includes studying possible uses for the ash produced by UNBC’s bioenergy plant, for purposes such as soil remediation. Dr. McGill was nominated for the award by professors from Stanford University, the University of California (Davis), and the University of Maryland. He is UNBC’s first-ever researcher and the only Canadian in his category (Agriculture and Natural Resources) this year to receive the distinction.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson, and professional association. AAAS is a global organization, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Cambridge, U.K.