UCI scientists James Famiglietti and John Southon have been named 2012 fellows of the American Geophysical Union. Southon, an Earth system science researcher, manages UCI’s W.M. Keck Carbon Cycle Accelerator Mass Spectrometry facility and has extensive expertise in carbon dating. Famiglietti, professor of Earth system science and civil & environmental engineering, heads the University of California Center for Hydrologic Modeling and is an authority on water scarcity, climate change and related issues. “It’s a great honor to be recognized by your colleagues in this manner,” Famiglietti said. “Really, though, this is a recognition of my students and their strong commitment to the environment.” Election to the AGU “is a special tribute for those who have made exceptional scientific contributions,” says the organization’s website. “Nominated fellows must have attained acknowledged eminence in the Earth and space sciences. Primary criteria … are major breakthrough/discovery and paradigm shift. This designation is conferred upon not more than 0.1 percent of all AGU members in any given year.”