University President Steven Knapp and professor Martha Finnemore will be formally inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at a ceremony in Cambridge, Mass. on Saturday.
Knapp and Finnemore will be among 178 of the nation’s most influential artists, scientists, scholars, authors and institutional leaders welcomed into the esteemed honorary society and leading research center.
Knapp’s background in literary theory, philosophy and religion aligns with the academy’s goals.
“One of the key missions of the academy is to promote the role of scholarship in helping the nation and the world address critical social and intellectual problems. That effort is something to which I am strongly committed, and an example of my work in that area would be the lectures I have given on the role of the humanities,” Knapp said in April when his election to the academy was announced.
Knapp, who taught English literature at the University of California, Berkeley before serving as dean of arts and sciences and then provost at Johns Hopkins University, is a vocal supporter of the humanities.
Finnemore, a professor of political science and international affairs, will also join the academy this year. The author of several prize-winning books and a variety of articles has conducted research on global governance, international organizations, ethics and social theory.
“I’m delighted to be part of the academy and looking forward to supporting its mission,” Finnemore said last spring. “The academy’s work is an important component of independent policy research and I look forward to contributing to the academy’s research efforts.”
Since its founding in 1780, the academy has inducted leading intellectuals such as George Washington, Daniel Webster and Albert Einstein.
The academy’s more than 4,000 fellows and 600 foreign honorary members are elected through anonymous nominations, followed by a vote of the entire membership. After joining the society, members can contribute to policy studies, write for the academy’s publications or serve on governance committees, among other things.
