Robert Townsend, director of the Humanities Indicators, discusses PhD trends in the U.S.

We know what a novel is, but can we say the same about the novel? The Winter 2021 issue of Dædalus “On the Novel,” guest-edited by Michael Wood, features fourteen essays that, rather than surveying or summarizing the fate of the novel, offer remarkable insights into the behavior of this versatile literary form, glimpses of where and what it has been and where it may go in the future.

The best way we can transcend ideology is to teach our students, regardless of their majors, to think like scientists.

As a member of the Academy, you received the official announcement about the 261 individuals elected in 2022. Here are a few reactions on Twitter to the big news.

Citing Academy report, Harry Brighouse shares instructional practices that undergraduates say they have rarely encountered and think should be more widely shared.

Robert Ballard tells the story of his passionate career in ocean exploration and discusses the educational initiatives he has created to engage a new generation of scientists.

A new report from the Humanities Indicators project finds that master’s degrees in humanities fields peaked in 2012 and Ph.Ds. three years later. There are no signs of a bounce back.

The American Academy has announced its 2014 class of new members, which includes leaders in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, arts, business, public affairs, and the nonprofit sector.

Rob Townsend of the American Academy speaks about the puzzling decline of more than 30 percent in English and history majors, citing the latest Humanities Indicators report on The State of the Humanities 2021: Workforce & Beyond.

In updates released this morning, the American Academy's Humanities Indicators report that visits to historic sites, museums, and art galleries are on the rise in recent years.

Inspired by Our Common Purpose, a new Maryland-based volunteer committee, Advancing Democracy in Maryland, announced the adoption of ranked-choice voting in local elections as its top priority.

Science in America is facing a moment of deep uncertainty. A changing political landscape, reduced federal support, and growing public skepticism are creating serious challenges for the science research community. Alongside long-standing problems such as rampant misinformation and growing tensions with research-conducting institutions, distrust in science has made the role of science in a democratic society even more uncertain. To address these challenges, the Academy is examining what it will take to strengthen public trust in science and support science’s essential role in civic life.

The opening program of the 2022 Induction weekend featured a conversation between David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma that explored the meaning and honor of Academy membership, the power and universality of music, and the importance of the arts, culture, and education, among other topics. An edited version of their conversation follows.

One of the recommendations for strengthening American democracy proposed in Our Common Purpose - the report of a bipartisan Academy commission - is to move to a system of proportional representation where elected seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are based on the share of votes each party or candidate receives. This article examines legislative progress at the federal and state levels concerning proportional representation.

With the national conversation generated by "The Heart of the Matter" still ongoing, the American Academy's Humanities Indicators has put forth a report card to provide a snapshot of current data illustrating where the humanities are today.

The Academy’s Commission on the Arts created Mixtape - a multimedia gallery featuring poems, stories, songs, videos, and visual art contributed by members of the Commission and Academy. Mixtape offers art and inspiration wherever you are, whenever you want.

Transcriptions of Observations on the Aurora Borealis from the Academy Archives