Eleven MIT faculty members, including the chancellor of the Institute, are among 228 leaders from academia, business, public affairs, the humanities, and the arts elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the academy announced today.

One of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies, the academy is also a leading center for independent policy research. Members contribute to academy publications, as well as studies of science and technology policy, energy and global security, social policy and American institutions, the humanities and culture, and education.

Those elected from MIT this year are:

“It is an honor to welcome this new class of exceptional women and men as part of our distinguished membership,” says Don Randel, chair of the Academy’s Board of Directors. “Their talents and expertise will enrich the life of the Academy and strengthen our capacity to spread knowledge and understanding in service to the nation.”

The new class will be inducted at a ceremony on Oct. 7 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Since its founding in 1780, the academy has elected leading “thinkers and doers” from each generation, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, Daniel Webster and Maria Mitchell in the 19th century, and Albert Einstein and Toni Morrison in the 20th century. The current membership includes more than 200 Nobel laureates and 100 Pulitzer Prize winners.

Reprinted with permission of MIT News