Dr Maeve Boland announced as AAAS Fellow

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and publisher of the Science family of journals, has announced the 2024 class of AAAS Fellows.

Dr Maeve Boland, who until last month was a member of the iCRAG Operations team, has been announced as a AAAS Fellow – a distinguished lifetime honour within the scientific community. The Fellows are a group recognised for their achievements across disciplines, from research, teaching and technology to administration in academia, industry and government to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public. Dr. Boland becomes the third current AAAS Fellow based in Ireland.

Dr. Boland’s degree in geology from Trinity College Dublin provided the foundation for a career at the intersection of geoscience and public policy in Ireland and the United States. Work on earth resources in the private sector and at the Industrial Minerals Section of Geological Survey Ireland fuelled her interest in the connections between geoscience and policy, leading to a PhD from Colorado School of Mines. She spent a year in the U.S. Senate as the 2009 American Geophysical Union Congressional Science Fellow, followed by two years as a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Geological Survey. As Director of Geoscience Policy at the American Geosciences Institute, Dr. Boland led a team representing the policy interests of AGI’s 50+ member societies and their 250,000 members. Maeve returned to Ireland in 2018, joining the UCD School of Earth Sciences on a joint UCD-GSI contract. For the last three years, she has been iCRAG’s Geoscience Policy, Communications, and Public Affairs Specialist. Dr. Boland recently served on several UNESCO, Geological Society of America, and AGU committees and remains fascinated by the complex relationships between geoscience and society.

Dr Boland commented: “I am tremendously honoured to receive this recognition from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This award highlights the vital importance of the many intersections between science, policy, and society as we address global and local challenges. I have been fortunate to work with many wonderful colleagues in the US and Ireland who are striving to improve communication and understanding between scientists, policy makers, and the public – work that is becoming more essential every day.”

“This year’s class of Fellows are the embodiment of scientific excellence and service to our communities,” said Sudip S. Parikh, Ph.D., AAAS chief executive officer. “At a time when the future of the scientific enterprise in the U.S. and around the world is uncertain, their work demonstrates the value of sustained investment in science and engineering.”

iCRAG Director Professor Sarah A. Gleeson remarked: "I would like to congratulate Dr Boland on being announced as a AAAS Fellow. Dr Boland’s work over many decades at the geoscience-policy interface has been crucial in advancing the role that our science plays in creating a sustainable future for all. Receiving such a distinguished accolade is testament to the tremendous contribution that Maeve has made to our field.”

In a tradition stretching back to 1874, Fellows are elected annually by the AAAS Council. Recognised for their efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications, the roll of Fellows includes scientifically or socially distinguished individuals, including Thomas Edison, Ellen Ochoa and Steven Chu. Newly elected Fellows will be recognized for their extraordinary achievements at a ceremonial Fellows Forum in early June.

For more on AAAS Fellows visit (opens in a new window)https://www.aaas.org/fellows