Zachary Fisk, Distinguished Professor of physics & astronomy at UC Irvine, on April 24 was named a member of the American Philosophical Society. Founded in 1745 by Benjamin Franklin, the APS is unusual among learned societies because its membership is composed of top scholars from an array of academic disciplines. Fisk was elected in the mathematical and physical sciences class. John Hemminger, physical sciences dean at UCI, says Fisk is highly deserving of the honor: “Through his special ability to make new, very high-quality materials that other scientists simply cannot make, he has contributed to our understanding of a wide range of physical phenomena, including how a special class of materials – superconductors – can carry electrical current without loss.” Fisk also is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.