Three PNNL scientists elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences
Three scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been elected members of the Washington State Academy of Sciences, along with a former PNNL scientist.
Morris Bullock, Yuehe Lin, and Sotiris Xantheas will join an elite group of scientists and engineers from across the state for their outstanding scientific and technical achievements. Academy members provide their leadership and expertise to help solve issues affecting Washington State, inform public policy-making, and increase the role and visibility of science among the public.
The academy was created in 2005 and, including the class of 2018, consists of 286 members from various academic disciplines and backgrounds. The three new inductees bring PNNL's total number of staff who are members to 22.
Morris Bullock
Bullock is a PNNL Laboratory Fellow and the director of the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, an Energy Frontier Research Center led by PNNL. He was recognized for "contributions to fundamental research on the reactivity of transition metal hydrides and molecular electrocatalysts." He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Chemical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Yuehe Lin
Lin is a PNNL Laboratory Fellow who holds a joint appointment between PNNL and Washington State University where he is a professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. He was recognized for his role "in the development of new nanobioelectronic devices and nanomaterials for biomedical diagnosis and drug delivery." He is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Sotiris Xantheas
Xantheas is a PNNL Laboratory Fellow and University of Washington-PNNL Distinguished Faculty Fellow. He was recognized for his "fundamental contributions to the understanding of molecular interactions and collective phenomena in aqueous systems." He is the recipient of the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, a Marie Curie Fellowship and he is also a fellow of Japan's Society for the Promotion of Science, the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a visiting fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study at the Technical University of Munich at Garching.
Gary Yang
Gary Yang, a former PNNL Laboratory Fellow and now Chief Strategy Officer of UniEnergy Technologies Co., was also among the group of newly elected members. During his time at PNNL, Yang helped developed technology for the breakthrough all vanadium mixed acid redox flow battery. Yang then licensed the technology and, in 2012, co-founded UniEnergy Technologies.
Several PNNL researchers hold leadership positions in WSAS serving on the executive committee, board of directors and topical working groups. Don Baer, a PNNL laboratory fellow serves as the organization's secretary. Jud Virden, PNNL's associate laboratory director for energy and environment is a board member. Sue Clark, a Battelle Fellow, who holds a joint appointment at PNNL and Washington State University, is serving a second term on the board.
The 29 new WSAS members elected this year will be inducted at the academy's 11th annual meeting at the Seattle Museum of Flight on September 13.
