Two elected to the American Academy

Two professors at UW–Madison are among 196 new fellows nationwide elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Elected to the 225-year-old academy were Thomas Kurtz, the Paul Levy professor of mathematics and statistics; and Alberto Palloni, the H. Edwin Young professor of sociology and international studies. Kurtz and Palloni are recognized for the body of their work rather than a single accomplishment.

The UW–Madison scholars are among a well-known group that this year includes Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Academy Award-winning actor and director Sidney Poitier, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Eric Cornell, journalist Tom Brokaw, Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and cartoonist Art Spiegelman.

Founded in 1780 by John Adams, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to recognizing the leading thinkers that participate in projects and studies that advance the public good.

The Academy will welcome this year’s new Fellows at its annual induction ceremony on Oct. 8, at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Mass.