Nine faculty elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Nine UC Berkeley faculty have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a prestigious nonpartisan research center that convenes scholars and leaders in academic, business and government sectors, drawing expertise across disciplines, to address the most complex challenges of our time. Here are this year’s honorees:

Judith Butler is the Maxine Elliot Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Program of Critical Theory. Her work focuses on critical theory, gender and sexuality studies, as well as on comparative literature, philosophy and social and political thought.

Eugene Chiang is a professor of astronomy and of earth and planetary science. A theoretical astrophysicist, he explores the origin and evolution of planetary systems around other stars and our own sun.

David Kirp is a professor emeritus at the Goldman School of Public Policy. His expertise spans a wide range of issues including affordable housing, law, gay rights, education policy and race and ethnicity.

Jeffrey Long is a professor of chemistry and of chemical and biomolecular engineering. He focuses on the design and controlled synthesis of novel inorganic materials and molecules with applications in gas storage, molecular separations, conductivity, catalysis and magnetism.

Kam-Biu Luk is a professor of physics. He explores the nature of elementary particles and their fundamental interactions, with a primary focus on neutrinos and nucleon decay.

Emi Nakamura is the Chancellor’s Professor of Economics. Her research focuses on monetary and fiscal policy, business cycles and macroeconomics.

Kristin Scott is a professor of molecular and cell biology. She studies the taste system in fruit flies to understand how sensory information is processed by the brain and linked to behavior.

Chris Shannon is the Richard and Lisa Steiny Professor of Economics and a professor of mathematics. Her recent research centers around uncertainty and risk in financial markets.

Claire Tomlin is a professor of electrical engineering and computer science. She builds models to understand and organize complex systems, including networks of unmanned aerial vehicles, air traffic control and biological processes.

Note: Susan Hubbard, associate lab director of the earth sciences division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and an adjunct professor in UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, was also elected to the academy.