Harvard Math Professor Lauren Williams Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Lauren Williams, Dwight Parker Robinson Professor of Mathematics and Sally Starling Seaver Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, was among 20 Harvard faculty elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

“I was quite honored and a bit flabbergasted to receive the news,” Williams said. “Several of my mathematical heroes and mentors are members of the Academy, so I am thrilled and gratified to be a part of that group. At this moment in time, when funding for the arts and sciences feels precarious, I am very happy to be part of a celebration of accomplishments in scientific research and the arts.”

Since 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences has honored excellence and convened leaders from across disciplines and divides to examine new ideas, address issues of importance, and work together “to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.” Academy members are leaders in the arts and sciences, business, philanthropy, and public affairs. Based across the United States and around the world, they have been elected for exceptional contributions in their fields and professions. This year’s total number of newly elected members came to nearly 250.