Four individuals from the University of California, San Diego have been chosen for membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a prestigious organisation founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and other distinguished individuals, has honoured four community members from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in its 2020 class.
Among the new members are Professor David Victor, the Center for Global Transformation Endowed Chair in Innovation and Public Policy and professor of international relations at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UCSD. Victor's research interests lie in energy policy and energy markets, with a focus on the future role of natural gas, electric power market reform, and rural energy development. He is a leading contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and author of "Global Warming Gridlock."
Margaret Leinen, UCSD's vice chancellor for marine sciences, dean of the School of Marine Sciences, and the director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, is another distinguished member. Leinen is an award-winning oceanographer and an accomplished executive with extensive national and international experience in ocean science, global climate, and environmental issues.
Paul Churchland, professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Philosophy in the Division of Arts and Humanities at UCSD, is also part of the 2020 class. Churchland is one of the most distinguished theorists in the field of neurophilosophy and the philosophy of the mind. He introduced and defended an influential view known as eliminative materialism, also known as eliminativism, in his book "Scientific Realism and the Plasticity of Mind."
Vicki Grassian, the Distinguished Chair of Physical Chemistry at UCSD and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the Division of Physical Sciences, rounds off the UCSD representatives. Grassian's research focuses on the chemistry of complex environmental interfaces, including atmospheric aerosols, geochemical interfaces, indoor surfaces that impact indoor air quality, and nanomaterials in the environment.
Joining these UCSD scholars are individuals from various sectors, including artists, scholars, scientists, and public, non-profit, and private sector leaders. Notable individuals in the 2020 class include singer/activist Joan C. Baez, immunologist Yasmine Belkaid, former Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., author Ann Patchett, and CEO and electrical engineer Lisa T. Su.
UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla expressed his pride in seeing the career accomplishments of the four individuals being recognised on a distinguished national platform. The new UCSD members have a chance to shape the future through the Academy's work to advance the public good.
Since the first UC San Diego faculty member, Professor Walter Munk, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1953, a total of 79 more have joined him in receiving this prestigious honour. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has been honouring exceptionally accomplished individuals for over 240 years.
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