The American Academy of Arts and Sciences Elects to Membership Seven L&S Professors

By Genevieve Shiffrar

July 6, 2001

This spring, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences announced the election of 183 new fellows and 25 foreign honorary members. Among them are seven Letters and Science faculty: Hubert Dreyfus of Philosophy, Alan Dundes of Folklore and Anthropology, Peter Evans of Sociology, Stuart Linn of Molecular and Cell Biology, Barbara Romanowicz of Earth and Planetary Science, Daniel Rubinfeld of Economics and Law and Janet Yellen of Economics and Business.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences was established during the American Revolution by prominent figures such as John Adams, James Bowdoin, and John Hancock. Their aim--to bring together the preeminent thinkers of the time to further the democratic interests of the young nation. Their charter defined their purpose: "...to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honour, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people."

Today, and for over 220 years, "through independent, nonpartisan study, its ranks of distinguished 'scholar-patriots' have brought the arts and sciences into constructive interplay with the leaders of both the public and private sectors." The seven L&S professors share the honor of membership with some of the most influential people of our time. Other 2001 inductees include Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State; Timothy Berners-Lee, Director of the World Wide Web Consortium, and musician and businessman Quincy Jones.

Hubert Dreyfus, Professor of Philosophy, has been recognized by the Academy for challenging commonly held notions about intentionality and artificial intelligence as well as for his work on philosophers Husserl, Heidegger, and Foucault, writings which bring together analytic philosophy and "Continental" philosophy.

Professor Alan Dundes is perhaps the preeminent champion of the study of folklore. He has expanded significantly the discipline, having written on a vast range of folklore topics using a variety of approaches. Recent publications include studies of jokes, the bible, vampire mythology, and caste.

Peter Evans, Chancellor's Professor of Sociology, studies development and globalization as well as political economy in comparative perspective. His keen eye has focused on Latin America (Brazil, in particular) and Asia. Recent areas of interest include state-society relations, transnational social movements and urban environmental politics.

Stuart Linn, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has purified and characterized biochemically the first Type I restriction endonuclease, among other accomplishments. Dr. Linn is interested currently in DNA damage, including damage by iron-mediated free radicals and enzyme- and DNA-binding proteins associated with responses to DNA damage.

Barbara Romanowicz, Professor of Geophysics and Director of the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, studies surface waves and free oscillations in describing the internal structure of the Earth. Additionally, she investigates earthquake processes and estimations and provides leadership on an international level in the installation of modern seismographs.

Daniel Rubinfeld, the Robert L. Bridges Professor of Law and Professor of Economics, specializes in the intersection of law and economics. His research has included studies of state and local public finance, the economics of litigation, federalism, and applied econometrics. Recently, he served as assistant attorney general for antitrust in the U.S. Justice Department.

Janet Yellen is the Eugene E. and Catherine M. Trefethen Professor of Business Administration at the School of Business and a Professor of Economics. Professor Yellen has held influential public roles including Chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisors and member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Her scholarly work is equally influential and wide-ranging; she has published recently on trade liberalization, teen pregnancy, and the effects of currency union on former East Germany.

These seven professors are joined in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences with four additional members of Berkeley faculty in others schools or colleges: Richard Buxbaum of the Law School, Christos Papadimitriou from the College of Engineering, and Kenneth N. Raymond and Ignacio Tinoco, both from the College of Chemistry.

Membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences remains one of the highest honors for scholars, professionals and government leaders. Congratulations to these excellent Berkeley faculty members!