National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Institute of Medicine
National Research Council

National Academy of Engineering Elects New Members, Foreign Associates

February 9 -- The National Academy of Engineering has elected 66 new members and 10 foreign associates, announced NAE President Charles M. Vest today, bringing the total U.S. membership to 2,254 and the number of foreign associates to 206. Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.

Celebrating African American History Month

February 7 -- NAS, NAE, and IOM invite the public to celebrate African American History Month at a Healthy Plate Cook-Off and a lecture by NAE member James West.

Report Selects 16 Highest Priorities to Guide NASA's Technology Development Efforts

February 1 -- During the next five years, NASA technology development efforts should focus on 16 high-priority technologies and their associated top technical challenges, says a new report from the National Research Council. The technologies were selected with input from the external technical community as part of NASA’s draft technology roadmaps and include items such as radiation mitigation; guidance, navigation, and control; nuclear systems for both power generation and transportation; and solar power generation (see news release for full table). These priorities were chosen to align with three main facets of NASA's overall mission: extending and sustaining human activities beyond low Earth orbit; exploring the evolution of the solar system and the potential for life elsewhere; and expanding our understanding of Earth and the universe.

Public Health Action Needed to Reduce Burdens of Chronic Illness

January 31 -- A new report from the Institute of Medicine says public health actions are urgently needed to tackle the vast and growing toll of chronic illness on individuals and society. The report’s recommendations focus on optimizing efforts to better understand the burden and needs of people with chronic diseases, improving the dissemination of effective community-based interventions and preventive clinical guidelines, promoting the testing of an aligned health system to help people live well with chronic illness, and promoting the creation and implementation of public health policies in emerging legislation.

Bruce B. Darling Named Executive Officer of National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council

January 27 -- Bruce B. Darling, currently vice president for laboratory management at the University of California, will soon join the National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council as executive officer. His transition from the university to NAS will occur over the next several months. He will succeed E. William Colglazier, who now serves as science and technology adviser at the U.S. Department of State.