Washington, D.C. - Two  Duke  University professors and a recently retired Duke science writer-administrator have been elected as fellows in the American Association for the Advancement of Science by other members.

  Elwyn Simons, James B. Duke Professor of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy and head of the Division of Fossil Primates, was recognized for his outstanding contributions to paleoprimatology through groundbreaking field research on modern primate ancestors in Wyoming, Egypt, India and Madagascar.

Dennis Thiele, George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at the Duke Medical Center, was honored for distinguished contributions to understanding the mechanisms by which organisms acquire, distribute and detoxify copper and regulate the expression of copper responsive genes.

Dennis Meredith, who retired earlier this year as assistant vice president and director of research communications at Duke's Office of News and Communications, was recognized for exemplary leadership in university communications as well as for important contributions to the theory and practice of research communications. He previously was a science writer at a number of other top academic institutions.

New fellows will be honored during a Fellows Forum on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007, during the association's next annual meeting in San Francisco.