WOOSTER, Ohio - John Finer, a professor in Ohio State University's Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, has been elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) - a recognition bestowed upon leading researchers for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to promote science or its applications.
Finer, who is based on the Wooster campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), is one of 18 Ohio State faculty elected among this year's AAAS class.
He was recognized for "distinguished contributions in the development of new and insightful approaches for increasing the efficiencies of gene transfer and expression analyses in crop plants," AAAS said in a statement.
Finer's lab is nationally and internationally recognized for important advancements in genetic transformation and transgene expression in a variety of plants, including corn, soybean, sunflower, wheat, cotton and tomato - techniques that can lead to healthier, better-performing crops.
"It is really quite an honor to be selected as a Fellow in AAAS," Finer said. "I chose a career in the plant sciences because I really enjoy scientific discovery and helping others to experience the excitement of discovery. It is satisfying to know that the contributions from my laboratory have been utilized to solve real-world problems and that now, our work has been recognized through this award."
More information on Finer's work in crops including soybeans, corn and wheat can be found at www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/plantranslab/default.htm.
New Fellows from around the globe will be welcomed in a ceremony at the AAAS annual meeting in Boston in February. Founded in 1848, AAAS is the world's largest general scientific society and publishes the prestigious and influential journal Science.
"John is an outstanding scientist who represents the caliber of work we strive to do in this organization," OARDC Director Steve Slack said. "Being named an AAAS Fellow means that his scientific peers recognize him as one of the top experts in his field of science."
Finer is also known as a technological innovator. He has invented a robotic image-capturing system that reconstructs and animates plant developmental events, such as tissue growth and gene expression, that are critical to understanding molecular processes. He has also patented a technique to insert genes into plant material using ultrasound, among other inventions.
