Six University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty, including UW Law School's Professor Alta Charo, have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Charo is the Warren P. Knowles Professor of Law and Bioethics and an expert on law and policy related to research ethics, stem cell research and new medical technology. She has served as an adviser and expert to the federal government and multiple presidential administrations on ethical concerns in cutting-edge research. And she recently co-chaired a National Academy of Sciences panel to develop recommendations around human gene editing.

The other five UW faculty members include psychologist Seth Pollak, philosopher Steven Nadler, historian Louise Young, geographer Lisa Naughton and chemist Martin Zanni. They are among the 276 new members announced April 23. Election to the academy recognizes distinguished contributions by these scholars to their fields.

"The news that six colleagues are new members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is further evidence for a fact: Faculty at UW-Madison are extraordinary," says UW-Madison Provost Karl Scholz. "We congratulate these six for this wonderful recognition and thank them, and all in the UW-Madison community, for relentless efforts to expand the boundaries of knowledge and understanding of the human condition."

The academy was formed in 1780 to honor exceptional individuals and engage them in advancing the public good. Members have included Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Margaret Mead and Martin Luther King Jr. This year's new members include former Attorney General Eric Holder, author Ann Patchett and filmmaker Richard Linklater.

Submitted by Law School News on April 24, 2020

This article appears in the categories: Faculty, Features