Academy elects former astronaut

Former South Whidbey resident and Western Washington University professor of physics and astronomy George “Pinky” Nelson, the head of Western’s Science, Math and Technology Education program, has been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences.

New members will be inducted at the academy’s annual meeting at the Museum of flight in Seattle on Sept. 20. The Washington State Academy of Sciences and its 185 members provide expert scientific and engineering analysis to inform public policy-making, and works to increase the role and visibility of science in Washington state.