Four Smithsonian scientists have been awarded the distinction of Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They have been elevated to this rank because of their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished. The names of all 388 AAAS fellows for 2013 were announced in the Nov. 29 issue of Science.

The four Smithsonian honorees are:

• Helen James, zoologist at the National Museum of Natural History, for contributions to avian evolution, paleontology and conservation, particularly for insights into the history of human-induced changes to Pacific Island ecosystems.
• Peter Marra, ecologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, for contributions to migration and conservation biology, particularly by employing innovative technology to establish migratory connectivity between breeding and wintering ranges of birds.
• Stephen Murray, astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, for innovative contributions to high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy and for founding the Astrophysics Data System that has transformed the way people access information.
• Matthew Tocheri, anthropologist at the National Museum of Natural History, for contributions to the study of comparative anatomy and human evolution, particularly the evolution of the wrist.

“This is a proud moment for Smithsonian science,” said Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian. “There are now 47 Smithsonian scientists who are AAAS Fellows. Congratulations to my colleagues; they are making a mark and advancing scientific discovery in their respective fields of endeavor to the benefit of the scientific community and the public at large.”

James, Marra, Murray and Tocheri are four of more than 500 Smithsonian staff scientists, who conduct research in field stations and laboratories on all seven continents and serve as national and international experts in a wide scope of disciplines.