Four Stanford faculty members are among the 252 new members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2026. The academy honors leaders in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research, and science who have made exceptional contributions in their fields and professions.
“We celebrate the achievement of each new member and the collective breadth and depth of their excellence – this is a fitting commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary,” said academy president Laurie Patton in a press release. “The founding of the nation and the Academy are rooted in the inextricable links between a vibrant democracy, the free pursuit of knowledge, and the expansion of the public good.”
The new American Academy of Arts and Sciences members from Stanford are:
Shanhui Fan, the Joseph and Hon Mai Goodman Professor in the School of Engineering, professor of electrical engineering, senior fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy, and member of Stanford Bio-X. Fan’s research interests are in fundamental studies of nanophotonic structures – especially photonic crystals and meta-materials – and applications of these structures in energy and information technology applications.
Ramón Saldívar, the Hoagland Family Professor in Humanities and Sciences and professor of English and of comparative literature in the School of Humanities and Sciences, and a Continuing Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education. Saldívar’s teaching and research focus on the areas of literary criticism and literary theory, the history of the novel, 19th- and early 20th-century literary studies, cultural studies, borderland studies, globalization and issues concerning transnationalism, and Latinx and Chicanx studies.
Aaron Straight, the Pfeiffer and Herold Families Professor and professor and chair of biochemistry in the School of Medicine, professor of chemical and systems biology (by courtesy), and member of Bio-X, the Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI), the Stanford Cancer Institute, and the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, and faculty fellow in Sarafan ChEM-H. The Straight Lab studies the biology of chromosomes across a wide range of organisms and experimental systems. Their work focuses on understanding the genetic and epigenetic control of chromosome organization, function, and inheritance.
Joseph C. Wu, the Simon H. Stertzer, MD, Professor of Medicine and Radiology in the School of Medicine, director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, and member of Bio-X, the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, MCHRI, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Center for IBD and Celiac Disease, the Stanford Cancer Institute, and the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Wu’s research integrates genomics, stem cells/organoids, AI, and drug discovery. The main goals are to understand fundamental disease mechanisms, advance precision medicine for patients, and accelerate drug discovery through “new approach methodologies” (NAMs) and the “clinical trial in a dish” (CTiD) concept.
“We invite all of our members to celebrate their election and to join in the Academy’s work advancing the common good across the arts, democracy, education, global affairs, and science,” said chair of the board Goodwin Liu, associate justice of the California Supreme Court, in the press release. “Our nonpartisan and interdisciplinary commitment to knowledge and democracy began in 1780 and continues in 2026 with pursuits never more important than they are now. We know such endeavors will be expanded and deepened by these newest members.”
Induction ceremonies for new members will take place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in October 2026.
