AAAS to induct 13 Harvard faculty to 227th class of fellows

Thirteen Harvard University faculty members will be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at a ceremony on Saturday (Oct. 6). Celebrated for their scholarship, artistic triumphs, and service to society, the 227th class of fellows includes the following Harvard affiliates:

David G. Blackbourn, Archibald Carey Coolidge Professor of History; David Cutler, dean for the Social Sciences in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics; Leopold Damrosch Jr., Ernest Bernbaum Professor of English Literature; Lars Hernquist, professor of astronomy; Rem Koolhaas, professor in practice of architecture and urban design; Thomas W. Lentz, Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot Director; N. Gregory Mankiw, Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics; Venkatesh Narayanamurti, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and John A. and Elizabeth S. Armstrong Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences; Richard O’Connell, professor of geophysics; E. Roger Owen, A.J. Meyer Professor of Middle Eastern History; Joshua Sanes, professor of molecular and cellular biology and director of the Center for Brain Science; James H. Sidanius, professor of psychology and African-American Studies; and Junying Yuan, professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School.

An independent research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems, AAAS was founded in 1780 and is based in Cambridge, Mass. Each year, the academy honors excellence by electing the influential leaders and innovative minds of the day. Among this year’s new members are former Vice President Albert Gore Jr., former Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and filmmaker Spike Lee.

The 202 new fellows and 23 new foreign honorary members are leaders in scholarship, business, the arts, and public affairs. They come from 27 states and 12 countries, and represent dozens of universities, corporations, museums, research institutes, media outlets, and foundations, and include winners of Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, and Academy Awards.

“The academy takes great pride in honoring the accomplishments of these outstanding and influential individuals,” said AAAS President Emilio Bizzi. “Throughout its history, fellows of the academy have been dedicated to advancing intellectual thought and constructive action in America and the world. We are confident that our newest group of fellows will help us fulfill that mission in significant ways.”

At the induction ceremony, new members will learn about the academy’s wide-ranging research program. Current fellows will discuss some of the academy’s ongoing projects, which include such topics as the state of the humanities, the independence of the American judiciary, nuclear proliferation, and the future of the media. Additionally, new members will learn about the academy’s Visiting Scholars Program, which mentors the next generation of scholars and thinkers.

New fellows and honorary foreign members are nominated and elected by current members of the academy. Members are divided into five broad classes: mathematics and physical sciences; biological sciences; social sciences; humanities and the arts; and public affairs, business, and administration.