William H. Gates, Sr., Frank Thomson Leighton, Carolyn R. Bertozzi, and Michael Wood to Speak at Induction Ceremony Sherrill Milnes will Perform

The Academy conducted a day of special briefings for Congressional staff in January 2023 on issues related to nuclear arms control. The day including a large briefing -- "The Doomsday Clock and Today’s Nuclear Landscape” -- as well as individual office visits. The conversations were part of the Academy's “Promoting Dialogue on Arms Control and Disarmament” project.

Despite declining postsecondary interest, engagement is growing in K-12, according to analysis by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences’ Humanities Indicators project.

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences honors excellence and convenes leaders from every field of human endeavor to examine new ideas, address issues of importance to the nation and the world, and work together “to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.”

Benjamin Dearborn, an educator and inventor who was elected to the Academy in 1794, wrote to Academy president John Adams in August 1794, describing his design for a “Music Board” for the benefit of persons who are visually impaired...

Economist and Academy member Daron Acemoglu received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics for groundbreaking work that illuminates how institutions shape economies. Acemoglu was a vital contributor to the Academy's Commission on Reimagining Our Economy, a cross-disciplinary effort to understand and improve the economy for the people who make it work.

In his keynote address, Academy President Jonathan Fanton emphasized the need for colleges and universities to do more to spread awareness about the positive impact of language and area studies.

It is with deep sadness that the Academy notes the passing of business leader, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and dedicated public servant Morton L. Mandel on October 16, 2019, at the age of 98.

Google Senior Fellow Jeffrey Dean; Installation artist Theaster Gates; Irish author Eavan Boland; philanthropist Edythe Broad; Aspen Institute's Walter Isaacson among new members

Noteworthy

Robert H. Frank writes for the New York Times about income inequality and the justice gap, based on his longer essay in Daedalus issue on "Access to Justice."

Experts in five locations—Berkeley, Cambridge, Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C.—to lead discussions about legal justice on November 11 as part of the Academy’s inaugural Distinguished Morton L. Mandel Annual Public Lecture.

Projects in the Education program area examine the vital role that education plays in our nation and the world. Work in this area seeks to inform policy and practice in support of high-quality educational opportunities for all Americans. From advancing equitable educational outcomes to leveraging new developments in the learning sciences and digital technologies to understanding the vital role that public universities play as engines of economic growth, innovation, social mobility, and citizenship, projects in this area draw on scholars and practitioners from diverse fields to provide guidance and actionable solutions to policymakers, higher education leaders, and philanthropists.

The Committee on Studies and Publications supports the Academy’s Council by regularly reviewing the progress of projects, considering topics for future studies, and evaluating publications, including Dædalus.

This was a year of reemergence and celebration for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Our building reopened for staff and events. We held a joyous Induction Weekend in September, making up for two years of cancellations due to the pandemic. And we finished a very successful capital campaign through the hard work of President David Oxtoby, campaign cochairs Louise Bryson and David Rubenstein, and Chief Advancement Officer Ginger Saariaho, exceeding our $100 million target. We are deeply grateful to them and to the members and friends who gave generously to support our work.

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has ushered in a new era of uncertainty and instability for the global order. What does the conflict mean for the
future of nuclear arms control? What role does corruption play in the erosion of constraints against aggression? And what will the conflict mean for democratic institutions, both abroad and here at home?