Donald W. Meinig, Maxwell Research Professor of Geography Emeritus at Syracuse University, is among the 229 leaders in the sciences, humanities and arts, business, public affairs and the nonprofit sector who have been elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The new fellows and foreign honorary members join one of the world’s most prestigious honorary societies. A center for independent policy research, the academy celebrates the 230th anniversary of its founding this year.
A complete list of the 2010 class of new members is located at http://www.amacad.org/news/a2z10.pdf.
The scholars, scientists, jurists, writers, artists, civic, corporate and philanthropic leaders include winners of the Nobel, Pulitzer and Shaw prizes; MacArthur and Guggenheim fellows; and Grammy, Tony and Oscar award winners.
Established in 1780 by John Adams and other founders of the nation, the academy undertakes studies of complex and emerging problems. Its membership of scholars and practitioners from many disciplines and professions gives it a unique capacity to conduct a wide range of interdisciplinary, long-term policy research. Current projects focus on science and technology; global security; social policy and American institutions; the humanities and culture; and education.
“We are pleased to welcome these distinguished individuals into the Academy,” says Leslie Berlowitz, Academy CEO and William T. Golden Chair. “We look forward to drawing on their knowledge and expertise to provide practical policy solutions to the pressing issues of the day.”
“The men and women we elect today are true pathbreakers who have made unique contributions to their fields, and to the world,” says Academy Chair Louis W. Cabot. “The academy honors them and their work, and they, in turn, honor us.”
The new class will be inducted at a ceremony on Oct. 9 at the academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Mass.
Since its founding by John Adams, James Bowdoin, John Hancock and other scholar-patriots, the academy has elected leading “thinkers and doers” from each generation, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, Daniel Webster and Ralph Waldo Emerson in the 19th, and Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill in the 20th. The current membership includes more than 250 Nobel laureates and more than 60 Pulitzer Prize winners.
