AUC President Lisa Anderson Elected Member of Renowned

April 26, 2015, Cairo – President of The American University in Cairo (AUC) Lisa Anderson has been elected among the 2015 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, alongside Nobel laureates; Pulitzer Prize winners; MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships; Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, and Tony awards; as well as some of the world's most accomplished leaders from academia, business, public affairs, the humanities and the arts. “We are honored to elect a new class of extraordinary women and men to join our distinguished membership,” said Don Randel, chair of the academy’s Board of Directors. “Each new member is a leader in his or her field and has made a distinct contribution to the nation and the world. We look forward to engaging them in the intellectual life of this vibrant institution.”    The American Academy is one of the most esteemed honorary societies in the Unites States and a leading center for independent policy research. Members contribute to academy publications and studies of science and technology policy, global security and international affairs, social policy and American institutions, and the humanities, arts, and education. The new class will be inducted at a ceremony on October 10, 2015, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Academy President Jonathan Fanton added, “The honor of election is also a call to service. Through its projects, publications and events, the academy provides its members with opportunities to discover common interests and find common ground. We invite every new member to participate in our important and rewarding work.” The new class includes leaders of educational, cultural and philanthropic organizations, including,  Lisa Anderson, AUC president, Alberto Ibargüen, president and chief executive officer of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Richard Kurin, under-secretary of history, art and culture at the Smithsonian Institution, Wallach D. Loh, president of the University of Maryland, Janet A. Napolitano, president of the University of California System, Cristián Samper, president and chief executive Officer of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Mark S. Schlissel, president of the University of Michigan, Teresa A. Sullivan, president of the University of Virginia. The elected class includes also distinguished mathematicians, scientists, social scientists, philanthropists and business leaders and renowned figures in public affairs, journalism, humanities and the arts.  The academy elected 16 non American honorary members from Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Since its founding in 1780, 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 Margaret Mead and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 20th. The current membership includes more than 250 Nobel laureates and more than 60 Pulitzer Prize winners.