MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. (April 18, 2018)—Anthony P. Monaco, president of Tufts University and a distinguished geneticist, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in recognition of his leadership in education and science.
Founded in 1780, the academy honors exceptional scholars, leaders, artists, and innovators and engages them in sharing knowledge and addressing challenges facing the world. One of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies, the academy is also a leading center for independent policy research. Monaco was one of 213 individuals elected this year.
“I’m honored to join this esteemed group of leaders who have made valuable contributions to our society in such a wide variety of fields,” said Monaco. “It’s a great privilege to be included among the “thinkers and doers” who make up the academy’s membership.”
A noted leader, educator and distinguished geneticist, Monaco has led Tufts University since 2011, championing academic excellence, diversity, access and inclusion, global perspectives, and the power of higher education to impact individuals and society. Prior to Tufts, Monaco directed Oxford University’s Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics from 2007 to 2011 and was then appointed as pro-vice-chancellor for planning and resources.
At Oxford University, he led the Neurogenetics Group, a team of scientists investigating the genetic underpinnings of such neurodevelopmental disorders as autism, specific language impairment, and dyslexia. Monaco’s doctoral research led to the landmark discovery of the gene responsible for X-linked Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies.
The new members of the academy were elected in 25 categories and are affiliated with 125 institutions. The complete list of new members is available at www.amacad.org/members.
The new class will be inducted at a ceremony in October 2018 in Cambridge, Massachusetts at which the newly elected members will sign the Book of Members, and their signatures will be added to the academy members who came before them, including Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Maria Mitchell, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Robert Frost, Margaret Mead, Milton Friedman, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Membership in the academy is not only an honor, but also an opportunity and a responsibility,” said Jonathan Fanton, president of the American Academy. “Members can be inspired and engaged by connecting with one another and through academy projects dedicated to the common good. The intellect, creativity, and commitment of the 2018 class will enrich the work of the academy and the world in which we live.”
The academy’s projects and publications generate ideas and offer recommendations to advance the public good in the arts, citizenship, education, energy, government, the humanities, international relations, science, and more.
“This class of 2018 is a testament to the academy’s ability to both uphold our 238-year commitment to honor exceptional individuals and to recognize new expertise,” said Nancy C. Andrews, the chair of the board of the American Academy. “John Adams, James Bowdoin, and other founders did not imagine climatology, econometrics, gene regulation, nanostructures, or Netflix. They did, however, have a vision that the academy would be dedicated to new knowledge – and these new members help us achieve that goal.”
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About Tufts University
Tufts University, located on campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville and Grafton, Massachusetts, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions. A growing number of innovative teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate and professional programs across the university's schools is widely encouraged.
