"Being named a AAAS Fellow is a great honor and Drs. Anderton and Morgan are well-deserving of the distinction," says Lacy Ford, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "Each of them exemplifies what it means to be a researcher and a scholar, and I'm proud to have them represent the College of Arts and Sciences and the entire university."
Professor Anderton joined the university’s faculty in 2012, and is chairman of the sociology department. He previously served at the University of Chicago, where he was associate director of the Social Development Center for five years, and at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he was director of the Social and Demographic Research Institute for 22 years.
His research focuses on demography, environmental and epigenetic health, and statistical methods. He is studying new concepts of fertility and “epidemiological transition” — the changing patterns of population age distribution, life expectancy and causes of death. His work has explored marriage, childbearing, and death in the 19th and early 20th century on the American frontier, in emerging New England industrial towns, and several international settings. He has developed methods of demographic analysis in data-deficient settings, including historical populations and the homeless.
Anderton is a fellow of the American Statistical Association and an elected member of both the International Statistics Institute and the Sociological Research Association. He earned his master’s degree in economics and doctorate in sociology from the University of Utah.
Professor Morgan’s research combines chemistry and data analysis to create unique scientific applications that help solve real-world problems. Recent work includes discovering enhanced blood detection methods that can be used at crime scenes, a project that has led to collaborations with the FBI and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division. He also collaborated with the Library of Congress and the Metropolitan Museum of Art on new techniques to help preserve magnetic audio recordings before they deteriorate. Morgan frequently collaborates with colleagues across campus and has mentored 132 undergraduates, six master’s students, and 43 doctoral candidates. He has also mentored research undergraduates participating in the Office of Research’s Magellan Scholars program.
Morgan has been at Carolina since 1976, and earlier earned his bachelor’s degree at Duke University and master’s and doctoral degrees at Emory University. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the Sigma Xi scientific research society, and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. He also is serving a five-year appointment to the Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis committee, which recommends standard practices to the Department of Justice Forensic Science Commission. Previous awards include 2007 Distinguished Undergraduate Research Mentor at USC, and 2011 South Carolina Outstanding Chemist award from the American Chemical Society.
The tradition of AAAS fellows began in 1874. This year, 391 members have been named a fellow by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. New fellows will be honored at the AAAS annual meeting, which will take place February 18, 2017, in Boston.