UC scholars and alumni elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

April 30, 2026
Michelle Simone, UC Newsroom

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences announced its 2026 class on April 23, recognizing 25 UC-affiliated scholars, 23 UC alumni, and several honorees with UC ties among the 252 new members recognized for leadership in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research and science.

One of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies, chartered in 1780, the Academy honors people whose work has made significant contributions to their fields and brings members together to help address major challenges facing society. This year’s new members will be inducted in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in October.

Across disciplines, a shared impact

UC’s newest additions to the Academy reflect the breadth of work taking place across the university, from research that helps scientists better understand the brain, the universe and the natural world to scholarship that is shaping education, law, public policy and how we understand culture, history and one another.

Meet some of this year’s UC honorees:

Raphael Bousso, physics

What is the universe made of? How do black holes work? What can physics tell us about space, time and the laws that govern everything around us? These are the kinds of questions explored by Raphael Bousso, professor and chancellor’s chair in the UC Berkeley Department of Physics.

Professor Bousso’s work in theoretical physics and cosmology has helped expand how scientists think about the universe at its most fundamental level. His research examines ideas that sit at the edge of human understanding, from quantum gravity to the structure of space-time. While the concepts can be abstract, the stakes are sweeping: Bousso’s work contributes to fields that seek to explain not just what exists in the universe but how it all fits together.

Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, engineering and technology

At the intersection of engineering, biology and medicine, Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, Henry Samueli chair in engineering and distinguished professor of biomedical engineering at UC Irvine, is working toward solutions for some of the body’s most difficult-to-heal tissues. Professor Athanasiou’s research in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine focuses on repairing or replacing damaged tissues, including cartilage and other structures that play a critical role in mobility and quality of life.

By applying engineering principles to biological challenges, Athanasiou’s work helps move the field closer to treatments that could someday change how doctors approach injuries, chronic conditions and tissue loss. It’s a powerful example of how research can bridge the lab and the clinic, turning complex science into new possibilities for healing and recovery.

Ramanujan Hegde, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology

Inside every cell, countless tiny systems are working constantly to keep the body functioning. Ramanujan Hegde, a molecular biologist and UCSF alumnus, studies one of those essential systems: how proteins are made, processed and moved to the right place inside cells. These processes may happen at a microscopic scale, but they are fundamental to life. When they break down, the effects can contribute to disease, including conditions linked to protein misfolding or malfunction.

Hegde’s research helps scientists understand the cell’s internal quality-control systems and the pathways that allow proteins to do their jobs. By clarifying how these basic mechanisms work, his discoveries add to the foundation for future advances in biology and medicine.

Terrie M. Williams, evolution and ecology

From sea otters and seals to African lions and polar bears, Terrie M. Williams, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, studies animals that capture the imagination while revealing urgent truths about the natural world. Professor Williams examines how large mammals move, hunt, survive and adapt, especially as their environments change.

Williams’ work connects physiology, behavior and conservation, helping scientists understand what animals need to thrive in the wild. That knowledge is increasingly important as climate change, habitat loss and human activity place new pressures on ecosystems. By studying animals in real-world conditions, Williams’ research helps inform efforts to protect vulnerable species and better understand the changing environments they call home.

Angela R. Riley, law

Questions of justice, sovereignty and self-determination are central to the work of Angela R. Riley, professor of law and American Indian studies at UCLA. Professor Riley focuses on Indigenous peoples’ rights, tribal sovereignty and Native governance, examining how legal systems can recognize the authority, traditions and autonomy of Native nations.

Riley’s scholarship brings history, culture and law into conversation, offering a clearer understanding of issues that affect tribes, courts, policymakers and public institutions. By centering Indigenous perspectives and legal frameworks, Riley’s work offers an important lens for understanding how law can better reflect the histories, priorities and lived realities of Native nations.

Paolo Mancosu, philosophy

The ideas behind ideas are at the center of Paolo Mancosu’s scholarship. As Willis S. and Marion Slusser professor of philosophy at UC Berkeley, Mancosu studies how mathematical concepts take shape and how people come to understand them.

Mancosu’s work brings philosophy and the history of mathematics together to explore what makes an argument convincing, how knowledge builds over time and why certain ideas endure. Even when the subject matter gets abstract, it connects to something surprisingly familiar: how people think, learn and make sense of complicated ideas. Mancosu’s research helps illuminate the foundations of mathematics and reasoning, showing that even the most theoretical ideas have a story to tell.

Henry T. Yang, educational and academic leadership

Few careers show the link between research and university leadership as clearly as that of Henry T. Yang, chancellor emeritus and distinguished professor of mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara.

Yang built a strong career in engineering while also serving for decades as chancellor, helping UC Santa Barbara grow into a major research university. During his time leading the campus, he supported the people and ideas that make a university thrive, from strong academic programs to work that brings different fields together. His engineering background also kept him closely connected to UC’s research mission and the spirit of discovery that drives it.

Yang’s career shows the wide reach a university leader can have, both through their own work and by helping create a place where students, faculty and staff can learn, discover and contribute to the public good.

Additional UC-affiliated honorees

Class I — Mathematical and physical sciences

Astronomy, astrophysics and Earth sciences
Lars Bildsten, director of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and Gluck Professor of Theoretical Physics, UC Santa Barbara
Michael E. Mann, climatologist, geophysicist and UC Berkeley alumnus

Chemistry
Michelle R. Arkin, professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UC San Francisco

Computer sciences
Tim Roughgarden, computer scientist and former UC Berkeley postdoc

Engineering and technology
Andrew G. Alleyne, UC Berkeley alumnus
Kristin A. Persson, Daniel M. Tellep Distinguished professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, UC Berkeley

Mathematics, applied Mathematics and statistics
Michael L. Hutchings, Professor of mathematics, UC Berkeley

Physics
Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, physicist and UC San Diego alumnus

Class II — Biological sciences

Biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology
Karen Arndt, biology scholar and UC Berkeley alumna

Cellular and developmental biology
Kim Orth, microbiologist, biochemist and UCLA alumna
Aaron F. Straight, biochemist and UC San Francisco alumnus

Evolution and ecology
Alice L. Alldredge, professor emeritus of ecology, evolution and marine biology, UC Santa Barbara
Daniel Bolnick, evolutionary biologist and UC Davis alumnus
Erika Edwards, ecology and evolutionary biology scholar and former UC Santa Barbara postdoctoral researcher
James Galloway, biogeochemist and UC San Diego alumnus

Medical sciences
Alan R. Saltiel, distinguished professor of medicine and pharmacology, UC San Diego
Joseph C. Wu, cardiologist and UCLA alumnus

Microbiology and immunology
Sara Cherry, microbiologist and UC Berkeley alumna

Neurosciences
Michael Shadlen, neuroscientist and UC Berkeley alumnus
Doris Tsao, professor of neuroscience and molecular and cell biology, UC Berkeley
Ulrich Mueller, neuroscientist and former UC San Francisco postdoctoral fellow

Class III — Social and behavioral sciences

Anthropology and archaeology
George E. Marcus, distinguished professor of anthropology, UC Irvine
Anna L. Tsing, professor of anthropology, UC Santa Cruz

Education
Eva L. Baker, distinguished research professor, UCLA
P. David Pearson, Evelyn Lois Corey Emeritus Chair in Instructional Science, UC Berkeley

Political science
Sarah Anzia, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy and Political Science, UC Berkeley
Stephen Levitsky, political scientist and UC Berkeley alumnus
Etel L. Solingen, distinguished professor and Thomas T. and Elizabeth C. Tierney Chair in Peace and Conflict Studies, UC Irvine
Nicholas A. Valentino, political scientist and UCLA alumnus

Psychological sciences
Todd Braver, cognitive neuroscientist and UC San Diego alumnus
Elizabeth Ligon Bjork, professor emerita of psychology, UCLA
Jacquelynne Sue Eccles, distinguished professor of education, UC Irvine

Sociology, demography and geography
Lisa F. Berkman, epidemiologist and UC Berkeley alumna
David A. Snow, distinguished professor emeritus of sociology, UC Irvine

Class IV — Humanities and arts

Literature
Luis Alberto Urrea, UC San Diego alumnus

Literature and language studies
Ursula K. Heise, distinguished professor and Marcia H. Howard Chair in Literary Studies, UCLA
Lisa Lowe, UC Santa Cruz alumna

Performing arts
Daphne A. Brooks, UC Berkeley and UCLA alumna

Philosophy
James Owen Weatherall, Chancellor’s Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science, UC Irvine

Class V — Leadership, policy and communications

Journalism, media and communications
María Elena Salinas, journalist and UCLA Extension alumna

Lead photo:

Top row, left to right: Eva L. Baker, UCLA; Angela Riley, UCLA; P. David Pearson, UC Berkeley; Sarah Anzia, UC Berkeley; Jacquelynne Sue Eccles, UC Irvine; Henry T. Yang, UC Santa Barbara
Middle row, left to right: Terrie M. Williams, UC Santa Cruz; Etel L. Solingen, UC Irvine; Ursula K. Heise, UCLA; Marisol de la Cadena, UC Davis; Raphael Bousso, UC Berkeley; Doris Tsao, UC Berkeley
Bottom row, left to right: Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, UC Irvine; Michelle R. Arkin, UC San Francisco; Lars Bildsten, UC Santa Barbara; James Owen Weatherall, UC Irvine; Anna L. Tsing, UC Santa Cruz; Kristin A. Persson, UC Berkeley