Dr. Larry Jameson, Chairman of the Department of Medicine, was elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS).  The AAAS recognizes world-renowned leaders in scholarship, business, the arts, and public affairs.  It is one of the nation's oldest learned societies with members making “extraordinary contributions to their fields and disciplines through their commitment to the advancement of scholarly and creative work in every field and profession.”

Election to the Academy is one of the highest honors in the United States.  Past members include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Webster, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Albert Einstein, and Winston Churchill.  According the Academy, they have gathered individuals with diverse perspectives to participate in studies and projects focusing on advancing intellectual thought and constructive action.

The Academy was founded in 1780 by John Adams, James Bowdoin, and John Hancock, “to cultivate every art and science that may tend to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.”  The Academy conducts interdisciplinary studies on international security, social policy, education, and the humanities.  The current membership of over 4,500 includes more than 150 Nobel laureates and 50 Pulitzer Prize winners.