The World Academy of Science (TWAS) announced the new fellows who were elected into membership on January 26, 2018. Out of the 55 new fellows, 16 are women, an unprecedented 29 percent of the new class.

Thirty-five fellows were from China (12), India (11), Brazil (5), South Africa (4) and Taiwan, China (3). The other 18 comes from Argentina, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Chile, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Panama, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Two new fellows are from Indonesia and Norway, where TWAS previously has had no members.

The new fellows from the field of agricultural sciences include Dr. Jennifer Ann Thomson, Emeritus Professor, University of Cape Town, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Rondebosch, South Africa. Dr. Thomson is also the President of Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), Vice Chair of ISAAA Board of Directors, and member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. She has received the UNEP Award for Women in Science, the Distinguished Old Rhodian Award and the L'Oréal-UNESCO award for Women in Science for Africa and Middle East, among many others.

Dr. Thomson's significant contributions in agricultural science include development of maize resistant to the African endemic maize streak virus and maize tolerant to desiccation. She will conduct glasshouse trials and subsequent field trials with a local seed company to determine whether the maize is drought tolerant.

Dr. Thomson, together with the new TWAS Fellows, will be inducted at the Academy's 28th General Meeting.

Read the press release from TWAS for more details.