GSE professor among seven Stanford faculty elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Walter Powell, a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), was one of seven Stanford faculty recently elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, an honor that recognizes exceptional scholars and researchers who discover, advance, and apply knowledge to the problems of society.

Powell, who is the Jacks Professor of Education and co-faculty director of the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, focuses his research on how ideas and practices move across organizations, and the role of networks in facilitating or hindering the transfer of ideas. 

“The Academy honors excellence across a wide range of disciplines and professions, and our newly elected members have demonstrated expertise and leadership of astonishing breadth and impact,” said Academy board chair Goodwin Liu, associate justice of the California Supreme Court, in the announcement of the new members. “We look forward to engaging their diverse talents and experiences through Academy initiatives that bring interdisciplinary inquiry and unfettered pursuit of knowledge to bear on our society’s greatest challenges.”

In addition to Powell, Stanford’s newly elected members include Anne Brunet, professor of genetics in the School of Medicine; Lance Dixon, professor of particle physics and astrophysics at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory ; Ian Gotlib, professor of psychology in the School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S); Christopher Manning, professor of linguistics in H&S and the Thomas M. Siebel Professor in Machine Learning and professor of computer science in the School of Engineering; Paul Segall, professor of geophysics in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability; and Kang Shen, professor of biology in H&S and professor of pathology in Stanford Medicine, were among nearly 250 newly elected members this year.

“These new members’ accomplishments speak volumes about the human capacity for discovery, creativity, leadership, and persistence. They are a stellar testament to the power of knowledge to broaden our horizons and deepen our understanding,” said Academy President Laurie L. Patton, in the announcement. “We invite every new member to celebrate their achievement and join the Academy in our work to promote the common good.”