Quick Facts
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Membership
The MAS currently has 297 members. Membership has steadily doubled in size per year since the creation of the Academy in 2007.
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors represents a wealth of knowledge and experience in diverse fields of expertise.
Fellows
The MAS has elected 62 Fellows since its creation in 2008. Each year, the Massachusetts Academy of Sciences honors distinguished individuals through its Fellowship and Honorary Life Member awards. The awardees constitute a select and prestigious community of scientists, engineers, research physicians, and others deeply concerned about science and science education. Awardees are recognized for extraordinary scientific accomplishments and service to the science community and the public. Academy peers initiate the nomination process. The Board of Governors' reviews all nominees and makes its selection on the basis of the quality and extent of accomplishment and service.
A candidate for Fellowship must have attained recognition for significant professional achievement in scientific research or science education.
Creation
The Massachusetts Academy of Sciences was created in 2007 to promote public understanding and appreciation of the sciences, to support scientific research in areas relevant to the needs of the state, and to provide consultative or advisory services on matters of science to the Governor, local, state and federal agencies.
Location
The MAS is s virtual organization. We are covering the needs of all regions of the Commonwealth.
President and Founder
Margaret (Peg) Riley is a Professor in the Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst. She received her B.S and M.S. at UMass Amherst and then pursued her Ph.D. at Harvard University. She was a professor at Yale for 15 years prior to returning to join the faculty at UMass Amherst. Early in her career she received a Presidential Young Investigator’s Award for her pioneering research in antimicrobial compounds. She has published over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles. In 2007 she co-founded a Massachusetts-based biopharmaceutical company, Origin Antimicrobials, LLC, involved in the design of novel antimicrobials. In 2008 she created the Massachusetts Academy of Sciences, a not-for-profit organization with the mission of increasing levels of civic science literacy. In this latter capacity, she is overseeing science outreach programs that bring undergraduate science majors into the K-12 science classroom, has created a program to form collaborations between research scientists and K-12 science teachers, and participated in an episode of The Eyes of Nye television series.
Goals and Objectives
- Encourage the discovery, understanding, dissemination and practice of science and its applications.
- Facilitate continuing professional development and training of scientists and science educators.
- Provide scientific advice to local, state, and federal governments.
- Promote innovation and adoption of new technologies.
- Monitor, report on, and advocate fulfilling opportunities for research and education.
- Promote public understand and appreciation of science.
- Publish and disseminate original contributions to education, science and its applications.
- Encourage young people to become involved in science through support of the Junior Academy of Science.
- Award high achievement in science education, research and its applications.
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