The American Academy of Arts & Sciences, a society and research center that addresses societal challenges, has elected two University of Maryland faculty members to its ranks.
University President Wallace Loh announced Wednesday that the society elected Mary Ann Rankin, senior vice president, provost and biology professor, and Christopher Jarzynski, a chemistry and biochemistry distinguished university professor and director of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology. Last year, the academy named Loh as one of its members.
University Chief Communications Officer Crystal Brown said the election of two faculty members this year is a significant recognition.
“This is one of the top honors,” she said. “And so to have two of our very own honored and recognized is not only a recognition of merit and accomplishments, but it reflects well on the university’s excellence.”
Jayanth Banavar, the mathematical and natural sciences dean, said Rankin’s and Jarzynski’s nominations allow the country to recognize impressive leaders at this university.
“[Rankin] leads us in really championing academic excellence. That’s what she does, she cares deeply about our students,” he said. “She also cares deeply about research excellence.”
Banavar noted a freshman research program Rankin created as the natural sciences dean at The University of Texas at Austin. The program aims to get students involved with research early in their college careers.
Rankin brought the research initiative to this university, where it is known as the First-Year Innovation & Research Experience.
“I am very excited and overwhelmed by this wonderful honor, and I am grateful to those who nominated me,” Rankin said in a statement.
“When your peers elect you to such a high honor and the world is told that you have accomplished something which has merited your recognition, like this, it is extremely heartening and it’s extremely rewarding,” Banavar said.
Banavar described Jarzynski as a “brilliant chemist, biologist [and] scientist” who “has come up with ideas [that] will be really important for the future.”
Jarzynski said his research is “basically how the laws of thermodynamics apply to very small systems.”
“I’m very honored to be part of those to be elected to the American Academy, and I was also very surprised,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting it.”
Jarzynski said he was surprised to be elected to the society because he does not think the deliberations are public.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” he said. “I believe in the purpose of the Academy and its traditions.”
