Interim University President Mark Wrighton lost the election for president of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, according to an announcement published on the AAAS website March 15.
Wrighton, who ran on a platform of advancing the scientific enterprise, lost the election to Willie E. May, who will aim to promote diversity in STEM and combat misinformation during his upcoming term as the president of AAAS, a global science organization aimed at advancing “science, engineering and innovation.” Wrighton declined to comment on how his election loss will affect his plans following the end of his interim tenure on July 1, leaving his future professional plans up in the air.
“I am grateful to have been considered for the presidency of AAAS and look forward to the leadership Dr. May will provide to this esteemed society dedicated to advancing science,” Wrighton said in an email.
During the campaign, Wrighton said his experience serving as a chemistry department chair and the provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the chancellor of Washington University, St. Louis and GW’s interim president prepared him to lead scientific advancement initiatives, according to a Feb. 17 blog on the AAAS website.
May, the vice president of research and economic development and professor of chemistry at Morgan State University, declined to comment, deferring to his statement in a blog posted on the Morgan State University website.
May said following his victory, he will use the position to advance diversity and K-12 education initiatives, work to build public trust in scientific research and collaborate with government agencies, according to the Morgan State University website.
“AAAS has the stature and resources to support in-depth studies of the causes of and solutions to the underrepresentation of minority groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and to foster an environment in which researchers of all backgrounds feel welcome and supported,” May stated on the website.
Sudip S. Parikh, the chief executive officer of AAAS and executive publisher of the Science family of journals, said AAAS is “excited” for new leadership to progress scientific initiatives as they head into their 175th year.
“We will utilize our leaders’ expertise to continue our work on expanding DEI in the STEMM ecosystem, addressing mis- and disinformation in the sciences and providing important historical context on a wide range of topics within the scientific enterprise,” Parikh said.
