Carol Folt, Manuel Castells elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

USC President Carol Folt and Professor Manuel Castells of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism have been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest honorific societies. The prestigious honor recognizes excellence in academia, the arts, industry, policy, research and science.

Folt and Castells are among the 250 members elected this year, including luminaries such as actor, director and producer George Clooney, recognized for his work with the Clooney Foundation for Justice and Smokehouse Pictures, and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Author and English professor Jhumpa Lahiri of Barnard College and developmental psychologist Megan Bang of Northwestern University are just two of the notable academicians elected in 31 areas of expertise.

“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.

The academy, founded in 1780, serves as a research center convening leaders from across disciplines, professions and perspectives to address significant challenges and recognizes and celebrates the excellence of its diverse members. Previously elected academy members include Benjamin Franklin (elected 1781), Alexander Hamilton (1791), Ralph Waldo Emerson (1864), Margaret Mead (1948), the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (1966), Madeleine K. Albright (2001) and Anna Deavere Smith (2019). Please click here to read the entire article on USC Today.


Four USC Faculty Members Named as Fellows of Prestigious Science Organization AAAS

The council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science has elected USC faculty members Pinchas Cohen, Andrea Hodge, Jay Lieberman and Gaurav Sukhatme to the ranks of AAAS fellows.

The honor, which recognizes researchers whose “efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished,” is among the most prized in academia.

The recognition honors excellence in research, technology, industry and government, teaching, and communicating and interpreting science to the public. The new cohort joins more than 40 of their USC peers already inducted into AAAS.

The newly elected AAAS fellows will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in September. To read more about their fellowships and accomplishments, please click here.