Henry J. Donahue, Ph.D., named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Portrait of Henry Donahue, Ph.D.
Henry J. Donahue, Ph.D., Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Distinguished Chair and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University.

By Leila Uginčius
University Public Affairs

Henry J. Donahue, Ph.D.Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Distinguished Chair and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

Donahue was elected as an AAAS Fellow for seminal studies identifying mechanisms underlying adaptation of bone to its mechanical environment and for developing innovative strategies to regenerate bone lost to disease, injury or aging.

“Being elected an AAAS Fellow is a great honor and I am proud to join such a distinguished list of scientists and engineers,” Donahue said. “The collaborative and innovative environment at VCU is essential to conducting excellent scientific research and clearly contributed to me being named an AAAS Fellow.”

This year 416 members have been awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. New fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on Feb. 16, 2019, at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

“The College of Engineering is very proud of Dr. Donahue’s accomplishments in the field of musculoskeletal health, but even more valuable has been his commitment to sharing his findings with students at all stages of their career,” said Barbara D. Boyan, Ph.D., the Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Dean of the College of Engineering. “We are fortunate to have his leadership here at VCU.”

The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Currently, members can be considered for the rank of fellow if nominated by the steering groups of the Association’s 24 sections, or by any three fellows who are current AAAS members (so long as two of the three sponsors are not affiliated with the nominee’s institution), or by the AAAS chief executive officer. Fellows must have been continuous members of AAAS for four years by the end of the calendar year in which they are elected. The lifetime honor comes with an expectation that recipients maintain the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

Each steering group reviews the nominations of individuals within its respective section and a final list is forwarded to the AAAS Council, which votes on the aggregate list.

The council is the policymaking body of the association, chaired by the AAAS president, and consisting of the members of the board of directors, the retiring section chairs, delegates from each electorate and each regional division and two delegates from the National Association of Academies of Science.