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Three Yale faculty elected members of American Academy of Arts and Sciences

April 18, 2018

Three Yale faculty members were among 213 individuals elected as members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which celebrates excellence in a wide range of disciplines.

The new members, who include actor Tom Hanks and former President Barack Obama, were elected in 25 different categories and are affiliated with 125 institutions, the academy announced April 18.

The Yale faculty elected to the academy are:

John J. Collins, The Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation

Collins has published many books and articles on the subjects of apocalypticism, wisdom, Hellenistic Judaism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. His class at the Yale Divinity School “What Are Biblical Values?” is a favorite of Divinity Schools students.

Haifan Lin, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Cell Biology; professor of genetics; and of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences

Lin, founding director of the Yale Stem Cell Center, studies the molecular mechanisms underlying the self-renewing division of stem cells, focusing on the processes required for renewal of germline and embryonic stem cells. The ability of stem cells to self-renew and create specialized daughter cells plays a central role in generating and maintaining most tissues in higher organisms.

Gerald Shulman, the George R. Cowgill Professor of Medicine, Cellular & Molecular Physiology and Physiological Chemistry

Shulman, co-director of the Yale Diabetes Research Center, pioneered the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy to examine intracellular glucose and fat metabolism in humans for the first time. The approach has led to groundbreaking basic and clinical investigative studies on insulin resistance and a deeper understanding of type 2 diabetes. He is also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

About the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences honors exceptional scholars, leaders, artists, and innovators and engages them in sharing knowledge and addressing challenges facing the world.

Submitted by Claudia Davis on April 30, 2018