2 UA professors among newly elected fellows

Two longtime University of Arizona professors have been elected fellows of prestigious national organizations. Astronomer Marcia J. Rieke is one of 227 newly elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, while neurobiologist John G. Hildebrand is among 72 new fellows of the National Academy of Sciences. Rieke, a UA professor since 1976, is known for her work in infrared astronomy, particularly with the Hubble, Spitzer and James Webb space telescopes. In the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Rieke joins scientists, artists, civic, corporate and philanthropic leaders, including more than 170 Nobel laureates and 50 Pulitzer Prize winners. Other fellows elected this year include former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Vice President Al Gore, filmmaker Spike Lee and Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt. Hildebrand, best known for his neurobiological research into the olfactory systems of insects, is the UA's 29th member of the National Academy of Sciences and the only newly elected member from Arizona. He joined the UA faculty in 1985 and is a cofounder of the university's Center for Insect Science, part of Arizona Research Laboratories.