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Business as usual won’t solve the existential challenges facing higher education. Gabriel Paquette discusses three models for reinventing higher ed: the laissez-faire, the pragmatic, and the utopian, citing the American Academy report on “The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of America” in this opinion piece.

"Witnessing the death and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in my hometown of New Orleans a decade ago triggered an obligation to test the utility of all that I have learned in a long career as a public health scientist."

The humanities are anomalous in their focus on academe as being “the one true career path” for students, Robert Townsend said, which is why he feels he has to defend the importance of career diversity.

On October 16, 2024, the Academy hosted a discussion on the importance of science communication and strategies to bridge the gap between science and the public. The event featured Sean Decatur (American Museum of Natural History) and Naomi Oreskes (Harvard University) in conversation with Holden Thorp (American Association for the Advancement of Science). Shirley Malcom (American Association for the Advancement of Science) offered opening remarks and Cristine Russell (formerly, Harvard Kennedy School) provided some final comments.

A statement from Academy President David Oxtoby on the passing of Louis Wellington Cabot, who was an active and valued Academy member for more than six decades.

The Academy issued its first volume of papers in 1786.

Announcing the six universities awarded $250,000 as part of the inaugural Modernizing Academic Appointment & Advancement (MA3) Challenge. This new cohort of university awardees will implement bold institutional reforms to faculty hiring, evaluation, promotion, and tenure systems. 

It is with deep sadness that the American Academy of Arts and Sciences notes the passing of business leader, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and dedicated public servant Morton L. Mandel, who received the organization’s Scholar-Patriot Award in 2016.

Recent Dædalus Issues Explore Mental Health as well as Language & Social Justice in the United States

The ASTC blog dives into the final report from the Public Face of Science initiative on Priorities for the Future, offering an overview and several important takeaways.

As one of the country’s oldest learned societies, we have a unique obligation to face our history and build a better future. And as a nonpartisan, independent research organization, we are well positioned to find solutions to help move our country forward.

In an effort to draw attention to the extent of the humanities at two-year colleges, the Academy's Humanities Indicators conducted a national survey of community colleges and today releases the findings.

Drawing largely on original research using federal data sets and the Gallup-Purdue Index survey of college alumni, the new report from the Humanities Indicators finds that college graduates with degrees from fields with below-average earnings are quite similar to graduates from other fields with respect to their perceived well-being.

New Publication Explores the ‘Complex Universe’ of Certificates, Apprenticeships, MOOCs, and More; Includes Recommendations

On April 13, 2023, the Academy presented its Talcott Parsons Prize for distinguished and original contributions to the social sciences to Robert D. Putnam. First awarded in 1974, the Talcott Parsons Prize was established to honor the noted sociologist and former president of the Academy. Previous recipients of the prize include William David Labov (linguistics), Joan Wallach Scott (history), Daniel Kahneman (psychology), and William Julius Wilson (sociology).