Four faculty members from The University of Texas at Austin have been selected to join the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a prestigious institution dedicated to independent policy research and knowledge sharing. The new members, spanning diverse disciplines, will be honored at an induction ceremony in September.
Expressing her pride in the faculty members' achievements, Sharon L. Wood, executive vice president and provost at UT Austin, highlighted the significance of their induction, stating, “The excellence of our faculty is one of the key reasons that The University of Texas at Austin continues to strengthen its position among the world’s best universities."
Among the honorees is Ramón H. Rivera-Servera, the dean of the College of Fine Arts at UT Austin, who is recognized for his interdisciplinary work in the arts focusing on Black and Latinx arts and cultures. Rivera-Servera's research delves into contemporary performance, exploring themes of race, gender, and sexuality within the context of migration.
Eric Anslyn, the Welch Regents Chair in Chemistry at UT, has been acknowledged for his contributions in chemical sensing and defense research. Anslyn's expertise and teaching skills have garnered him recognition, including an American Chemical Society Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award.
Howard Ochman, the Joseph J. & Jeanne M. Lagowski Regents Professor in Molecular Biosciences at UT, is celebrated for his research on the organization and evolution of bacterial genomes. Ochman's work in molecular evolution and microbial interactions has been widely published and recognized within the scientific community.
Christopher Wlezien, holding the Mike Hogg Professorship in Government at UT, is commended for his research on voter preferences and public opinion dynamics. Wlezien's studies focus on the interplay between policy preferences and electoral outcomes, spanning over 300 elections in more than 40 countries.
The new members will join a cohort of 250 individuals from various fields who will be officially inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences during a ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This recognition not only underscores the individual achievements of these scholars but also highlights the academic excellence and diverse expertise present at The University of Texas at Austin.