UNH Today

UNH environmental science professor William McDowell has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). A biogeochemist, McDowell is being recognized for his contributions to the field of ecosystem ecology.

AAAS recognized McDowell for his “contributions to the field of ecosystem ecology, particularly for advances in understanding the role of small streams in global carbon and nitrogen cycles.” McDowell’s research in this area focuses on understanding how the cycling of carbon and nitrogen interact to control the delivery of these biologically important elements to downstream systems and to the atmosphere. His long-term studies describe the effects of major droughts, rain storms, urbanization and hurricanes on stream chemistry. His current research looks at long-term effects of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has elected ocean mapping pioneer Larry Mayer, director of UNH’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, as a foreign member. Mayer is among 175 foreign members of the Royal Swedish Academy, best known for granting the Nobel Prize.

This lifelong appointment recognizes successful achievements in research or services to science. Mayer will serve within the Academy’s Class for Geosciences, one of ten subject categories that represent the members’ scientific expertise. Mayer’s prestigious career in ocean sciences and seafloor mapping has earned him numerous awards and honors over the years, and he says he is deeply honored to serve as a foreign member of the academy.

“Ocean science is rarely a solitary endeavor and success only comes through great collaborations and great collaborators,” Mayer says. “This is truly a tribute to the great work of the many people that I have the privilege to work with over the years.”

Wheeler Ruml, a professor of computer science at UNH, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Ruml, whose research in artificial intelligence has led to 17 U.S. and 12 foreign patents, joins the NAI 2018 class of 148 Fellows.

“This is a wonderful and well-deserved national recognition for professor Ruml’s significant contributions to artificial intelligence,” says Jan Nisbet, senior vice provost for research at UNH. “We’re proud of our innovative faculty who bring their important research into the marketplace.”

Ruml’s research concerns planning for artificial intelligence (AI).

“If you have a robot or a factory or some machine that is capable of doing lots of jobs, planning is the process by which you decide what to do in order to achieve your goals,” he says.

Read more about UNH faculty honors.