Geography Professor Ruth DeFries Elected
to the National Academy of Sciences
 Geography professor Ruth DeFries was elected to the National Academy of Sciences during that organization’s 143rd annual meeting on April 25, 2006. Election to the Academy is made in recognition of distinguished and continuing achievements in original research and is considered one of the highest honors in American science and engineering.
Professor DeFries has a joint appointment in the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center. Her research investigates the relationships between human activities, the land surface, and the biophysical and biogeochemical processes that regulate the Earth's habitability. She is interested in observing land cover and land use change at regional and global scales with remotely sensed data and exploring the implications for ecological services such as climate regulation, the carbon cycle, and biodiversity.
Professor DeFries obtained a Ph.D. in 1980 from the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor's degree in 1976 from Washington University with a major in earth science. Before coming to Maryland, Professor DeFries worked at the National Research Council with the Committee on Global Change and taught at the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay. She is a fellow of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program.
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