American Academy of Arts & Sciences

04/22/2026

News! Announcing the members elected in 2026 who are leaders in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research, science, and more:
https://www.amacad.org/news/new-member-announcement-2026

10/10/2025

A new publication, which emerged from the Academy's Our Common Purpose work, proposes alternatives to the “winner-take-all” system used in most U.S. elections. The proposed alternatives have the potential to reduce partisan divides and virtually eliminate gerrymandering.

10/09/2025

New publication proposes alternatives to winner-take-all elections that would allow more voters to see their preferences reflected in Congress, reduce partisan divides, and virtually eliminate gerrymandering.
https://www.amacad.org/news/publication-expanding-representation-congress

09/24/2025

All are welcome at this online conversation between Academy President Laurie Patton and historian, professor, and best-selling author, Jill Lepore, whose newest book is We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution.
Learn more and register:
https://www.amacad.org/events/conversation-on-our-constitution-jill-lepore

04/23/2025

The Academy has been electing members since 1781.
Today, the members elected in 2025 were announced.
Learn more:

The Academy's first new members were elected in 1781 and today the Academy announced the members elected in 2025. The individuals elected were recognized for excellence in various fields and professions and are invited to join the Academy in connecting across disciplines and divides to advance the c...

09/28/2024

Institutional reforms can only go so far unless the nation also re-imagines its civic culture, the often-overlooked force shaping democracy.

06/25/2024

If journalism is understood as information infrastructure that is essential to supporting democracy, then how it be stabilized and strengthened? Some ideas from an Academy report in this oped coauthored by Jim Fallows:

When faced with emergencies in public health, in public safety and in public education, Americans have responded with measures proportionate to the challenges at hand. Such a moment has arrived for…

04/26/2024

Professors Wei Chen, Mark Hersam, and Uri Wilensky are among the 250 individuals elected to the 2024 class.

04/26/2024

Three Rutgers professors were elected the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, a distinguished honor that recognizes their work to promote African American voices in poetry, preserve the history of Chinese operatic performers in America, and lead groundbreaking cancer research.

04/25/2024

The Academy elected its first members in 1781 and our newest members today. Learn more about the individuals elected in 2024: https://www.amacad.org/new-members-2024
“We honor these artists, scholars, scientists, and leaders in the public, non-profit, and private sectors for their accomplishments and for the curiosity, creativity, and courage required to reach new heights,” said David Oxtoby, President of the Academy. “We invite these exceptional individuals to join in the Academy’s work to address serious challenges and advance the common good.”

Elected in 2024

02/21/2024

Are you interested in the question "why are standard indicators for the American economy—including unemployment, GDP growth, and retail sales—positive while the sentiment of Americans about the economy is negative?"
If so, then you might be interested in the answers offered in this guest essay in the New York Times, rooted in the original work and unique insights of the Academy's Commission on Reimagining Our Economy.

The economy is driven by greed and shot with uncertainty. That’s what Americans told Katherine J. Cramer and Jonathan D. Cohen, who conducted over 30 small-group conversations over the past two years.