Dr. Gary Long, professor emeritus of chemistry at Missouri S&T, has been named a 2024 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

AAAS’s website states that each year, it elects members whose “efforts on behalf of the advancement of science, or its applications, are scientifically or socially distinguished.” It also states that the association elects Fellows deliberately and carefully to preserve the honor attached to this recognition.

AAAS began electing Fellows in 1874. Fellows are singled out because of meritorious contribution to the advancement of science.

The AAAS Fellow announcement states that Long is being honored for “distinguished contributions to chemistry and physics through various neutron and X-ray diffraction, magnetic and especially Mössbauer spectral studies applied on energy conversion materials.”

Long’s contributions to the fields of physical inorganic and solid-state chemistry include his research using the Mössbauer effect, the atomic process whereby a nucleus emits or absorbs gamma rays without losing energy by recoil. Through observing a Mössbauer spectrum, scientists can determine unique electronic, magnetic and structural properties within materials, particularly compounds containing iron, Long says.

Long joined the Missouri S&T faculty in 1968. He has edited or co-edited eleven books and chapters, mostly dealing with inorganic chemistry and the Mössbauer effect. He and his research teams have also published over 400 research papers in the fields of chemistry, physics and mineralogy.

Long is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Physical Society, the American Geophysical Union, Phi Lambda, Upsilon, and Sigma Xi. He served for four years as program chairman for the Division of Inorganic Chemistry of the ACS and he served for six years on the American Chemical Society Committee on Publications. He served for nine years on the Council of the American Chemical Society representing the local South Central Missouri section.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit  www.mst.edu.