Reitan Elected AAAS Fellow

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Paul H. Reitan of Snyder, professor emeritus in the Department of Geology in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, had been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.

He is among 308 AAAS members who have been elevated to the rank of fellow by their peers this year in recognition of their efforts toward advancing science or its applications that have been deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.

Reitan, part of the Section on Geology and Geography, was elected a fellow in recognition of his "distinguished contributions to bringing earth sciences knowledge into the public dialogue on ways to address pressing problems of creating an equitable and sustainable habitat for all inhabitants of Earth."

Reitan, who specializes in environmental science, retired from UB in 1998 after a 32-year career at the university. He developed numerous geology courses designed to provide an appreciation for and understanding of the mutual interactions and interdependence of the physical environment and society. He also served as provost and dean of the former Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics from 1976-79.

A U.S. native of Norwegian ancestry, Reitan was a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Arts; a fellow of the Geological and Mineralogical Societies of America; Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society; and the International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry.

He has authored and presented hundreds of scholarly articles and papers.

Reitan is a graduate of the University of Chicago and earned a doctorate from the University of Oslo, Norway, where he conducted research supported by a Fulbright Fellowship.