This story is modified from one published by University Communications 

Eight University of Wisconsin­–Madison scholars — including physics professor Vernon Barger — have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society.

Barger was elected for “seminal work in studying fundamental particles at colliders and leadership in particle phenomenology, where theory meets experiment.”

This year, 502 scientists, engineers and innovators were chosen from the AAAS membership to be AAAS Fellows. The honor, presented annually since 1874, recognizes efforts to advance science and society, with the fellows chosen to reflect the highest standards of scientific integrity and professional ethics.

“As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the AAAS Fellows, AAAS is proud to recognize the newly elected individuals,” said Sudip S. Parikh, AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. “This year’s class embodies scientific excellence, fosters trust in science throughout the communities they serve and leads the next generation of scientists while advancing scientific achievements.”

The new class of fellows will be featured in the April issue of the journal Science, and each new fellow will be celebrated at a September event in Washington, D.C.