Washington, D.C. — Dr. Frankie Wood-Black of Northern Oklahoma College has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers.

Dr. Wood-Black (Chemistry) was elected as an AAAS Fellow for her work in the areas of sustainability, chemical health and safety and science communication to the general public.

Wood-Black, the Division Chair for Engineering, Physical Sciences, and Process Technology Division at NOC, will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin.

She has been at NOC since 2014.

“This is quite the honor, and I was greatly surprised as, AAAS fellows are generally from larger schools and more focused science research,” said Dr. Wood-Black. “It is very nice to see the recognition for chemical safety and science communication.”

NOC Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Pam Stinson added, “This recognition reflects the respect that Dr. Wood-Black has gained within the scientific community, and NOC is proud of the many contributions she’s made.”

This year, 489 members have been awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

This year’s AAAS Fellows will be formally announced in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science on Nov. 27, 2020. A virtual Fellows Forum – an induction ceremony for the new Fellows – will be held Feb. 13, 2021.

The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Currently, members can be considered for the rank of Fellow if nominated by the steering groups of the association’s 24 sections, or by any three Fellows who are current AAAS members (so long as two of the three sponsors are not affiliated with the nominee’s institution), or by the AAAS chief executive officer. Fellows must have been continuous members of AAAS for four years by the end of the calendar year in which they are elected. The AAAS Fellow honor comes with an expectation that recipients maintain the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

Each steering group reviews the nominations of individuals within its respective section and a final list is forwarded to the AAAS Council, which votes on the aggregate list.

The Council is the policymaking body of the Association, chaired by the AAAS president, and consisting of the members of the board of directors, the retiring section chairs, delegates from each electorate and each regional division, and two delegates from the National Association of Academies of Science.

AAAS encourages its sections and Council to consider diversity among those nominated and selected as Fellows, in keeping with the association’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science, as well as Science Translational Medicine; Science Signaling; a digital, open-access journal, Science Advances; Science Immunology; and Science Robotics. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. The nonprofit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement, and more. For additional information about AAAS, see www.aaas. org.

Northern Oklahoma College, the state’s first public community college, is a multicampus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services which create life-changing experiences and develop students as effective learners and leaders within their communities in a connected, ever changing world.

NOC, a public two-year community college, serves 5,700 students on the home campus in Tonkawa, branch in Enid, NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater, online, and the University Center in Ponca City. Of these students about 60% receive financial aid and/or scholarships. Over 80% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.

NOC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science. The associate degree fulfills lower-division course work which is applicable towards a bachelor’s degree.

Call (580) 628-6200 for more information about Northern Oklahoma College or visit www.noc.edu .