James Tiedje, a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Michigan State University Departments of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, has been elected a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The honor is among the highest that China awards to citizens of foreign countries, with only 25 Foreign Members elected annually.

Tiedje, who is also the founding director of the MSU Center for Microbial Ecology, is a leading expert in the fields of microbial ecology and antimicrobial resistance.

“Microbes play huge roles on our planet — cycling nutrients, cleaning our water, changing our atmosphere, and contributing to our health — but some also cause disease,” said Tiedje, whose work has also been supported by MSU AgBioResearch. “Understanding and managing these microbial roles require global efforts, which I have done with scientists on all continents, including China. It’s a great honor that the Chinese have recognized the importance of this science and my research group’s contribution to it.”

Access full story at College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.