Akshay Venkatesh and Camillo De Lellis Elected as Members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
In the School of Mathematics, Robert & Luisa Fernholz Professor Akshay Venkatesh and IBM von Neumann Professor Camillo De Lellis have been elected as Members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAA&S), an honor that recognizes accomplishments and leadership in academia, the arts, industry, public policy, and research.
Venkatesh, a Fields Medalist, works on many topics at the interface between number theory and a wide range of other fields. Recently, he has examined new algebraic structures related to the topology of locally symmetric spaces.
His many breakthroughs include ones in automorphic forms and representation theory, ergodic theory, and algebraic topology. The breadth of his work has made him a rich contributor in many fields of mathematics.
De Lellis, a geometric analyst, has broad expertise in the calculus of variations, geometric measure theory, and fluid dynamics. Using modern tools and innovative approaches, he has contributed to central problems in analysis and geometry, resulting in monumental insights and new lines of inquiry.
For his work in fluid dynamics and the regularity of minimal surfaces, he won the prestigious Fermat Prize in 2013.
Also in the School of Mathematics, current Member Sourav Chatterjee, who works on probability theory, mathematical physics, statistics and machine learning, was elected. At IAS, he is conducting research on Yang-Mills theories and problems from statistical mechanics.
Past Members in the School elected this year include Vladimír Sverák (Member, 1993; Shiing-Shen Chern Member, 2021–22) and Hee Oh (Member, 2002–03; Visitor, 2006). They work on partial differential equations and dynamics in connection to number theory, respectively.
In the School of Natural Sciences, Xiao-Gang Wen (Member, 1990–91; IBM Einstein Fellow 2022–23) and Kenneth Intriligator (1995–97, 1998–99, 2005–06) were elected. Wen works on gapped quantum many-body systems; recently, he has started work on gapless systems. Intriligator studies quantum field theory.
In the School of Social Science, past Members Webb Keane (1997–98, 2019–20), Muriel Niederle (2005–06), and Gary Gerstle (1990–91) were also included in this year’s class. Keane works on a wide range of topics in social and cultural theory and the history of Southeast Asia. Niederle is a behaviorial and experimental economist. Gerstle studies immigration, race, and nationality. Additionally, past Visitor Gideon A. Rosen (2014–15) was elected. He analyzes the nature and limits of moral responsibility, as well as questions in metaphysics.
“We honor these artists, scholars, scientists, and leaders in the public, non-profit, and private sectors for their accomplishments and for the curiosity, creativity, and courage required to reach new heights,” said David Oxtoby, President of the Academy. “We invite these exceptional individuals to join in the Academy’s work to address serious challenges and advance the common good.”
The AAA&S, founded in 1780, is both an honorary society that recognizes and celebrates the excellence of its members and an independent research center convening leaders from across disciplines, professions, and perspectives to address significant challenges. This year’s election of 250 new members continues a 240-year tradition electing and engaging exceptional individuals at the top of their fields.
