Michael F. Goodchild, professor in UCSB's Geography Department and director of Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science, a Geography-affiliated research organization, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Science. The election was held this morning during the business session of the 139th annual meeting of the Academy. Election to membership in the Academy is considered one of the highest honors that can be accorded a U.S. scientist or engineer. Those elected today bring the total number of active members to 1,907.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to the furtherance of science and its use for the general welfare. It was established in 1863 by a congressional act of incorporation, signed by Abraham Lincoln, that calls on the Academy to act as an official adviser to the federal government, upon request, in any matter of science or technology. Additional information about the institution is available on the Internet at http://national-academies.org.