Brief introductions and readings from poet Heather McHugh of the University of Washington and poet Paul Muldoon of Princeton University.

On October 6, 2012, the American Academy inducted its 232nd class of Fellows and Foreign Honorary Members at a ceremony held in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The ceremony featured historical readings by Daniel Day-Lewis, new member Bonnie Berger, and Tom Leighton. It also included presentations by five new members: Steven H. Strogatz, Margaret J. McFall-Ngai, Maureen E. Mahoney, David Blight, and Penny Pritzker. The ceremony concluded with a memorable performance by Thomas Hampson (baritone).

A panel discussion on Institutions of Democracy and the Public Good was the focus of the Academy's 2012 Induction Weekend, featuring Diane Wood, Governor Phil Bredesen, and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry alongside Judy Woodruff, Alex Jones, and Marty Baron. The discussion was moderated by Norman Ornstein.

Frank Wilczek discussed the modern concept of substance and the nature of the Higgs particle following an introduction given by Jerome Friedman.

Francis Amory Prize Symposium: Advances in Reproductive Biology and Medicine

The Academy's Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences has hosted a series of regional forums to collect testimony on the value of the humanities and social sciences.

A new Academy initiative – The Lincoln Project: Excellence and Access in Public Higher Education – will advance a national discussion on the importance of public colleges and universities.

The Academy organized a workshop in Washington, D.C. that gathered investigators from the government, academic, and industry sectors to discuss novel approaches to understanding and overcoming the social and behavioral barriers to the adoption of new energy technologies.

With nearly every nation in Southeast Asia exploring the possibility of developing a civilian nuclear power program, the Academy’s Global Nuclear Future (GNF) Initiative is working to create a culture of safety and security in the operation and oversight of nuclear facilities in the region.

Anthony Fothergill (1732–1813) was an Edinburgh-educated physician and natural historian. In 1806, he sent an essay to the Academy entitled “Memoir on the origin & formation of ice-islands, and their dangerous effects in navigation, pointing out a certain and easy method of timely forewarning seamen of their approach even in the darkest night.”