UC Berkeley Press Release
AAAS announces 2004 fellows, who include seven UC Berkeley professors
BERKELEY – Seven professors at the University of California, Berkeley, are among the 178 new fellows elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in recognition of their leadership in scholarship, business, the arts and public affairs.
The newest academy members from UC Berkeley include David Aldous, professor of statistics; Paul A. Alivisatos, professor of chemistry; David Collier, professor of political science; Maurice Obstfeld, Class of 1958 Professor of Economics; Christina Romer, Class of 1957 Professor of Economics; Shankar Sastry, NEC Distinguished Professor and chair of the department of electrical engineering and computer sciences; and Samuel Scheffler, professor of philosophy and law.
"These new members have made extraordinary contributions to their fields and disciplines through their commitment to the advancement of scholarly and creative work in every field and profession," Patricia Meyer Spacks, academy president, said in a prepared statement.
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) was founded in 1780. It now boasts more than 4,500 members, including more than 150 Nobel laureates and 50 Pulitzer Prize winners.
Academy members conduct non-partisan studies on various issues, ranging from international security, social policy and education to the humanities.
The newest members will be formally inducted at ceremonies at academy headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. in October.
In addition to the seven UC Berkeley professors elected to AAAS this year, former UC Berkeley Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Carol Christ has been named a fellow as well. Christ has been president of Smith College in Massachusetts since 2002.