Five from MIT elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2021

5 MIT faculty customers are among additional than 250 leaders from academia, business, public affairs, the humanities, and the arts elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the academy introduced Thursday.

One of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies, the academy is also a top heart for unbiased coverage study. Users contribute to academy publications, as properly as scientific studies of science and know-how coverage, energy and international security, social policy and American establishments, the humanities and lifestyle, and education.

All those elected from MIT this 12 months are:

Linda Griffith, the School of Engineering Professor of Educating Innovation, Biological Engineering, and Mechanical engineering
Muriel Médard, the Cecil H. Inexperienced Professor in the Division of Electrical Engineering
Leona Samson, professor of organic engineering and biology
Scott Sheffield, the Leighton Family members Professor in the Department of Mathematics and
Li-Huei Tsai, the Picower Professor in the Section of Mind and Cognitive Sciences.

“We are honoring the excellence of these individuals, celebrating what they have realized so considerably, and imagining what they will continue to carry out,” claims David Oxtoby, president of the academy. “The past calendar year has been replete with evidence of how issues can get worse this is an prospect to illuminate the significance of art, concepts, awareness, and leadership that can make a far better planet.”

Considering the fact that its founding in 1780, the academy has elected primary thinkers from every generation, such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, Maria Mitchell and Daniel Webster in the 19th century, and Toni Morrison and Albert Einstein in the 20th century. The recent membership incorporates extra than 250 Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners.