Biological anthropologist Cara Wall-Scheffler ’00 was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science.
Wall-Scheffler, who is a professor and co-chair of SPU’s Biology department, was recognized for her groundbreaking research in energetics, particularly the evolution of human bipedalism/mobility. She is among only a handful of fellows who teach at a liberal arts university, and the only scholar in this year’s AAAS cohort who teaches at a Christian university.
The American Academy for the Advancement of Science is the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society and a leading publisher of cutting-edge research through its academic journals, including Science.
The society was formed in 1848 to mark the emergence of a national scientific community in the United States. While science was part of the American scene from the nation’s early days, its practitioners remained few in number and scattered geographically and among disciplines.
AAAS was the first permanent organization formed to promote the development of science and engineering at the national level and to represent the interests of all its disciplines in the academy, industry, and the public square.
AAAS fellows are a distinguished cadre of scientists, engineers, and inventors who have been recognized for their achievements in research, teaching, and technology in both the academy and industry. In a tradition stretching back to 1874, individuals are elected annually through a rigorous process by the AAAS Council in recognition of their extraordinary achievements in different fields of science and technology.
The 2023 class of AAAS Fellows was announced this month, with Wall-Scheffler receiving this lifetime achievement in the field of anthropology.
