Marty Matlock Earns Prestigious AAAS Fellowship

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Marty Matlock, professor of biological and agricultural engineering at the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, has been named a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS. This honor recognizes his contributions to agricultural sustainability standards and expanding Indigenous STEM participation.

Becoming a Fellow of the association is a lifetime honor, a tradition dating back to 1874, according to AAAS. Matlock joins an elite group of scientists and engineers who are celebrated for advancing science and its application to address global challenges.

“This honor recognizes the efforts of the University of Arkansas community to increase access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education for every person,” Matlock said.
“We have created a community that strives to make everyone who comes to the Hill feel welcome and know they belong to the Razorback family.”

Matlock’s work has included helping with the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative led by Carly Griffith Hotvedt at the University of Arkansas School of Law. This initiative supports students from all Tribal Nations.

“As a member of the Cherokee Nation and a first-generation college student, I know how hard it can be to find a place at a university. It is a strange land for many of us. We have worked to create a sense of belonging for Native American and other underrepresented communities, as well as a sense of purpose and possibility for all students, as part of our land-grant mission,” Matlock said.

Matlock’s work in sustainable agriculture has also been recognized by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology with the Borlaug Communication Award and the American Ecological Engineering Society, which named him a Fellow. The American Society of Civil Engineering also named Matlock a Fellow for his engineering design and innovation work.

“Creating a more prosperous earth is what it means to be a good ancestor,” Matlock said. “My colleagues and I in the College of Engineering work closely with Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences faculty to develop and implement practices for a safe, resilient and nutritious food supply chain.

“We work closely with producers to enhance ecosystem services on their lands, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from crop and animal production and make the soil more resilient to the challenges we are facing from the vanguard impacts of climate change,” he said.

Beyond academia, Matlock has influenced national policy as a senior adviser for food systems resiliency with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and through his service on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Board of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“I have observed Dr. Matlock’s career over 25 years and have been constantly inspired by his passionate dedication to advancing science and engineering; our department is thrilled to celebrate this recognition with him,” said Terry Howell Jr., biological and agricultural engineering department head.

Matlock and the other members of the 2025 Class of AAAS Fellows will be formally recognized at a ceremony in June in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit https://www.aaas.org/.

Matlock is a professor for the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas and also holds an appointment with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture.

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