Two IU Biology faculty members named 2022 AAAS fellows

Gold and navy circular pin awarded to newly elected AAAS Fellows.
New AAAS fellows will receive a certificate and a gold-and-blue rosette pin (representing science and engineering, respectively) to commemorate their election. Photo by AAAS

Leonie Moyle and Irene Newton, both professors in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology at Indiana University Bloomington, have been elected to the newest class of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It is one of the most distinguished honors within the scientific community, recognizing them for their outstanding contributions to the progress of science and research.

The AAAS noted a citation of merit for each of the new fellows:

  • Moyle—for elucidating the links between genetic and ecological causes of speciation in plants.
  • Newton—for distinguished contributions to the molecular, microbial, and evolutionary biology of symbioses.

Irene Newton

Irene Newton, 2022.
Irene Newton. Courtesy photo

Newton is a microbiologist who studies the molecular mechanisms of microbial symbioses. She studies insect model systems as hosts, and her recent work focuses on both the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and the honey bee (Apis mellifera) to understand how their associated microbes increase resilience to pathogens and environmental stresses. Newton is the vice president of the International Symbiosis Society, editor-in-chief of the American Society for Microbiology journal Microbiology Resource Announcements, and the 2023 ASM Honorary Diversity Lecture awardee.