Eight Columbia University faculty members were elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the United States’ most prestigious honorary societies.
The Academy was established in 1780 to recognize accomplished individuals and engage them in addressing the greatest challenges facing the young United States. George Washington was among the first members elected.
The Columbia faculty members elected this year are Keren Bergman, Charles Batchelor Professor of Electrical Engineering; George Chauncey, De Witt Clinton Professor of American History; Qiang Du, Fu Foundation Professor of Applied Mathematics; Farah Jasmine Griffin, University Professor; Kim F. Hall, professor of English at Barnard College; Tim Roughgarden, professor of computer science; Elizabeth Scott, Harold R. Medina Professor of Law, Emerita; and Michael N. Shadlen, professor of neuroscience at the Zuckerman Institute.
“We celebrate the achievement of each new member and the collective breadth and depth of their excellence—this is a fitting commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary,” said Academy President Laurie Patton in a statement. “The founding of the nation and the Academy are rooted in the inextricable links between a vibrant democracy, the free pursuit of knowledge, and the expansion of the public good.”
Past inductees include Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Margaret Mead, Martin Luther King Jr., and Madeleine K. Albright. Last year, three Columbia faculty members were inducted. Induction ceremonies for new members will take place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in October.
