National Academy of Sciences Adds Harvard faculty, alumni

Eleven faculty members and 11 alumni are honored.

New NAS members Andrew W. Murray, Jeff W. Lichtman, and Vamsi K. Mootha

Recognizing their “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research,” the National Academy of Sciences on April 29 announced the election of 84 new members, 11 of them from Harvard’s faculties of arts and sciences and of medicine.

Joining the academy from Harvard Medical School are:

  • Bruce P. Bean ’73, Winthrop professor of neurobiology;
  • Emery N. Brown ’78, M.D. ’87, Ph.D. ’88, Zapol professor of anaesthesia, who is affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital;
  • Timothy J. Mitchison, Sabbagh professor of systems biology;
  • Vamsi K. Mootha, M.D. ’98, professor of systems biology and of medicine, who is affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital; and
  • Martin R. Pollak, professor of medicine, who is affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The new members from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are:

Visit Harvard Magazine’s archives to find articles about economist Katz’s research with his frequent collaborator, Lee professor of economics Claudia Goldin, on career choice and quality of life issues; biologist Lichtman’s work involving optical microscopy and neural synapses; and short profiles of biologist Mitchison and Murray.

Eleven alumni were also newly elected to the academy. They are:

  • Peter Bearman, Ph.D. ’85, Cole professor of the social sciences at Columbia;
  • Dale L. Boger, Ph.D. ’80, Cramer professor of chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute;
  • Eric A. D’Asaro ’76, S.M. ’76, senior principal oceanographer and professor of oceanography at University of Washington, Seattle;
  • Gregory C. Fu, Ph.D. ’91, Altair professor of chemistry, California Institute of Technology;
  • Samuel H. Gellman ’81, Hirschmann professor of chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison;
  • Timothy L. Grove, Ph.D. ’76, professor, department of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
  • Benjamin D. Hall, Ph.D. ’59, emeritus professor of biology and genome sciences, University of Washington, Seattle;
  • Michael N. Hall, Ph.D. ’81, professor, Biozentrum, University of Basel;
  • John Preskill, Ph.D. ’80, Feynman professor of theoretical physics, California Institute of Technology;
  • Joseph Silk, Ph.D. ’68, HomeWood professor, Johns Hopkins University, and professor, Institut d’Astrophysique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris; and
  • Montgomery W. Slatkin, Gompertz professor of integrative biology, University of California, Berkeley.

You might also like

Harvard Scholars Discuss Venezuela After Maduro

A Harvard Kennedy School panel unpacks the nation’s oil sector, economy, and democratic hopes.

Five Questions with Willy Shih

A Harvard Business School professor unpacks the economics of semiconductors.

HAA Announces Overseers and Directors Slate for 2026

Alumni will vote this spring for members of two key governing boards

Most popular

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

Five Questions with Dick Friedman

Harvard Magazine’s longstanding football editor reflects on his career in journalism.

Harvard Board of Overseers Candidates Describe Priorities

Alumni will vote for the University governing board in April and May.

Explore More From Current Issue

A stylized illustration of red coral branching from a gray base, resembling a fantastical entity.

This TikTok Artist Combines Monsters and Mental Heath

Ava Jinying Salzman’s artwork helps people process difficult feelings.

A football player kicking a ball while another teammate holds it on the field.

A Near-Perfect Football Season Ends in Disappointment

A loss to Villanova derails Harvard in the playoffs. 

A girl sits at a desk, flanked by colorful, stylized figures, evoking a whimsical, surreal atmosphere.

The Trouble with Sidechat

No one feels responsible for what happens on Harvard’s anonymous social media app.