Three Columbia Faculty among Scientists,
Artists, Civic, Corporate and Philanthropic Leaders Inducted
into American Academy
CAMBRIDGE, MA - Three Columbia University faculty members will
be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at a
ceremony here on Saturday, October 6. Celebrated for their
superior scholarship, artistic triumphs and exemplary service to
society, the 227th class of Fellows includes the following
Columbia faculty:
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Robert S. Erikson
Professor of Political Science |
Barry Honig
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics |
Allan G. Rosenfield
Dean, Mailman School of Public Health;
DeLamar Professor of Public Health;
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology |
Founded in 1780, the Academy honors excellence each year by
electing to membership the finest minds and most influential
leaders 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; New York Mayor and businessman
Michael Bloomberg; Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt; New
York Times investigative correspondent James Risen; filmmaker
Spike Lee; acclaimed chef, activist and cookbook author Alice
Waters; Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter.
Six members of the newly elected class will address their
colleagues at the induction ceremony at Harvard University's
Sanders Theatre: MIT robotics professor and co-founder of the
iRobot Corporation Rodney Brooks; Princeton University molecular
biologist Bonnie Bassler; civil rights champion and University
of California, Berkeley, law school dean Christopher Edley, Jr.;
American opera singer and solo recitalist Jessye Norman;
prize-winning architect Billie Tsien; and mathematician and
University of Chicago President Robert J. Zimmer.
"The induction ceremony is an opportunity to welcome new members
and celebrate the extraordinary history of the organization, now
in its third century of service to the nation," said Chief
Executive Officer Leslie Berlowitz. "The Academy both honors
excellence by electing members to its fellowship and draws on
that distinguished membership to address critical social and
intellectual issues. It does so through studies, publications,
meetings and symposia."
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 range in age from
36 to 92. They represent dozens of universities, corporations,
museums, research institutes, media outlets and foundations, and
include seven university presidents or chancellors; winners of
Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, and Academy Awards; and two former
chairs of the President's Council of Economic Advisors.
Other new Fellows are: economists Gregory Mankiw and Murray
Weidenbaum; supercomputer expert David Shaw; Grammy-winning
pianist Emanuel Ax; historian Nell Painter; and classicist
Sabine MacCormack.This year's new Foreign Honorary Members come
from Europe, Asia, Canada, and the Middle East, and include
Italian glassblower Lino Tagliapietra; Israeli biochemist and
Nobel laureate Avram Hershko; French literary scholar Tzvetan
Todorov; Pritzker Prize-winning Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas;
and Canadian Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Abella. A complete
list of new members is available on the Academy's website at:
www.amacad.org
"The Academy takes great pride in honoring the accomplishments
of these outstanding and influential individuals," said Academy
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."
On Saturday, 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, the future of the Internet, nuclear proliferation,
the future of the media, and universal education. New members
also 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.
Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an
independent research center that conducts multidisciplinary
studies of complex and emerging problems. Current Academy
research focuses on: science, technology, and global security;
social policy and American Institutions; the humanities and
culture; and education. With headquarters in Cambridge, Mass.,
the Academy's work is advanced by its 4,600 elected members, who
are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business and
public affairs from around the world. (www.amacad.org)
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Columbia University Medical
Center provides international leadership in basic,
pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health
sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center
trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many
physicians, scientists, nurses, dentists, and public health
professionals at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the
Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine,
the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research
centers and institutions.
www.cumc.columbia.edu
