Seven University of Michigan faculty members, including Ivette Perfecto, have been named to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for their significant contributions in scholarly and professional fields. 

Perfecto is the James E. Crowfoot Collegiate Professor of Environmental Justice at the School for Environment and Sustainability. She specializes in biodiversity and arthropod-mediated ecosystem services in rural and urban agriculture, and her expertise includes the spatial ecology of the coffee agroecosystem, small-scale sustainable agriculture, biodiversity and food sovereignty.

Perfecto, along with Ruma Banerjee, Liliana Borcea, Aaron Dworkin, Matthew Fletcher, Sergey Fomin, and Stephanie Fryberg, are among 269 new members to join the academy’s ranks this year. They are being honored for their excellence and leadership across academia, the arts, industry, public policy and research.

“In its earliest days, the academy sought members who would help address issues and opportunities confronting a young nation,” said Nancy Andrews, chair of the academy’s board of directors. “We feel a similar urgency and have elected a class that brings diverse expertise to meet the pressing challenges and possibilities that America and the world face today.”

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center and honorary society founded in 1780 during the American Revolution. Its mission is to honor excellence and advance the public good in the arts, humanities, science and other fields. The academy conducts research, provides analysis and advice to policymakers, convenes scholars and experts, and promotes the understanding and appreciation of science and the arts. Membership in the academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of science and the arts.

View the complete list of winners.

Read the full article on the Michigan News website.