Three University of Delaware faculty members — Thomas H. Epps, III, Velia M. Fowler and Delphis Levia — have been elected 2024 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. 

The class of 471 scientists, engineers and innovators was selected by their peers for achievements across a broad range of disciplines, including research, teaching and technology, administration, and excellence in communicating science to the public.

“We congratulate Thomas H. Epps, III, Velia M. Fowler, and Delphis Levia on this prestigious honor,” said Miguel Garcia-Diaz, UD’s vice president for research, scholarship and Innovation. “Election as a Fellow of AAAS is a testament to their extraordinary contributions to discovery and innovation, their outstanding reputation within the scientific community, and the profound influence and impact of their research programs.” 

Sudip S. Parikh, AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals, said: “This year’s class of Fellows are the embodiment of scientific excellence and service to our communities. At a time when the future of the scientific enterprise in the U.S. and around the world is uncertain, their work demonstrates the value of sustained investment in science and engineering.”

Thomas H. Epps, III

Epps, the Allan and Myra Ferguson Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was elected a Fellow of AAAS “for distinguished contributions to polymer chemistry and materials science, particularly the design of nanostructured macromolecules for ion-conduction and therapeutic delivery, along with the development of performance-advantaged biobased and sustainable polymers.” 

Critical questions drive Epps’ research: Can we reduce our waste and environmental impacts? Can we know enough about the relationships between structures and their properties to rapidly develop treatments when a new virus emerges? Can we have long-lasting energy supplies for powering storm-stricken areas or even a future camping trip? 

Epps, who also has a joint appointment in materials science and engineering and is an affiliated professor in biomedical engineering, is making significant progress toward finding answers, with research focused on drug delivery to gene therapy, from better batteries to new methods of transforming plastic waste into useful products. 

Cutting-edge studies are underway at the Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (UD CHARM), a National Science Foundation-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at UD, which Epps directs. He also leads UD’s Center for Research in Soft Matter and Polymers (CRiSP) and serves as deputy director of the Center for Plastics Innovation, an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and headquartered at UD. 

Additionally, he is the chief scientific officer at Lignolix, a startup company he co-founded that is converting lignin, the structural material in wood and a byproduct of paper manufacturing, into new classes of renewable, specialty chemicals for making adhesives, cosmetics, flavorings and fragrances.

Epps has received multiple patents and academic honors for his work thus far, spanning the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers to induction as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). 

When NAI asked what inspired him to become an inventor, Epps credited his parents, as well as opportunities to participate in entrepreneurship competitions as an undergraduate and his work in the lab of Prof. Paula Hammond, his adviser at MIT.  

Velia M. Fowler

Fowler, professor and chair of the UD Department of Biological Sciences, was elected a Fellow of AAAS “for distinguished contributions to the field of cell biology, particularly for using red blood cells to determine the molecular mechanisms of actin filament length regulation and actin cytoskeleton function.” 

Every behavior of a cell, whether maintaining a specific shape, moving in a certain direction, producing mechanical force, or just staying “still” within a tissue, depends on the actin cytoskeleton, a complex network of protein fibers and other molecules that give the cell structure. 

Fowler’s studies of human red blood cells led to the discovery of a new family of proteins, called tropomodulins (Tmods), which control the length of actin filaments in all cells. Tmods function as “caps” at the ends of the actin filaments, preventing them from growing or shrinking. In red blood cells, Tmod capping in the actin cytoskeleton network allows the cells to withstand turbulent flow in large arteries yet squeeze through small capillaries to deliver oxygen and carry away carbon dioxide from tissues.

One of the most important human health impacts of Fowler’s work has been the demonstration that Tmods control precise actin filament lengths in the contractile structures of skeletal and cardiac muscles. This enables optimum muscle contraction under load to produce needed force — a heart beating to pump blood, for example, or skeletal muscle contractions for movement. 

Humans with a congenital TMOD1 mutation develop a childhood-onset cardiomyopathy, requiring a heart transplant in severe cases, Fowler said. Ongoing work by numerous investigators is building on these findings to develop interventions to improve muscle functions and patient outcomes.

What keeps Fowler coming back to the lab every day? 

“I love that surprises are still awaiting us in our understanding of the natural world —there are so many puzzles yet to solve and so much to learn,” Fowler said. “I also take great pleasure in learning about the scientific discoveries and insights from all the faculty and students in the biology department, and from my scientific colleagues across UD.”

Delphis (Del) Levia

Levia was elected a Fellow of AAAS “for fundamental contributions to understanding hydrological processes and the water cycle.”

As a first-generation college student, Levia was unaware that a career in science was an option for him. Then in his sophomore year at Clark University, his life changed due to the enthusiasm and devotion of Prof. Stanley Herwitz in his forest hydrology field methods class. 

“His eye-opening course led to undergraduate research and ignited my passion for research on forest-water interactions,” Levia said. “I have never looked back and am eager to make a positive difference every day with my research and teaching.” 

One need look no further than the recurring water scarcity of the American West or the ongoing recovery of flood-ravaged communities such as Asheville, North Carolina, to begin to fathom the serious challenges that water extremes — droughts and floods — present to humankind. 

“The study of forest-water interactions in an urban context can reduce stormwater runoff and treatment expenses in cities,” Levia said. “On the other hand, with prolonged droughts in some parts of the world, the interaction between forests and water is critical to ensuring there are adequate water supplies to meet the needs of local populations.” 

He acknowledged the important role his collaborators and students have played in his research efforts.  

“I am both humbled and very pleased to be selected as an AAAS Fellow and to become part of such an esteemed and talented group of scientists,” Levia said. “I am fortunate to have a fantastic network of national and international collaborators as well as many outstanding students — graduate and undergraduate alike — over the years. I recognize all of our collective and collaborative efforts that may have contributed to my selection for this prestigious honor.”

The new fellows will be featured in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science in March and will be celebrated at a forum in Washington, D.C., on June 7, 2025.