CAMBRIDGE, MA (TIP): Ten distinguished Indian Americans, including novelists Amitav Ghosh and Jhumpa Lahiri have been elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts & Sciences founded in 1780 to help a young nation face its challenges.
The 250 members elected in 2024 are being recognized for their excellence and invited to uphold the Academy’s mission of engaging across disciplines and divides, according to a media release.
“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.”
Ten Indian American members elected in 2024, among 31 areas of expertise, include:
Mathematics: Sourav Chatterjee, Stanford University and Akshay Venkatesh, Institute for Advanced Study
Biochemistry: Geeta J. Narlikar, University of California, San Francisco
Cellular and Developmental Biology: Vivek Malhotra, Centre for Genomic Regulation
Evolution and Ecology: Uma Ramakrishnan (IHM), National Centre for Biological Sciences
Literature and Language Studies: Gauri Viswanathan, Columbia University.
Literature: Amitav Ghosh and Jhumpa Lahiri, Barnard College.
Educational and Academic Leadership: Satish K. Tripathi, University at Buffalo.
Scientific, Cultural, and Nonprofit Leadership: Vijay Gupta, Street Symphony Project, Inc.
“With the broad diversity of members elected this year, we are continuing to expand on the commitment to excellence and wide-ranging expertise established by our founders,” said Chair of the Board Goodwin Liu, Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court.
“The honor of election comes with an invitation for new members to rededicate themselves to the common good by advancing the Academy’s nonpartisan, cross-disciplinary work in the arts, democracy, education, global affairs, and science.”
Induction ceremonies for new members will take place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in September 2024.