The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the oldest and most prestigious academies in the world. The Academy promotes science, arts, humanities, and public policy, and serves as a meeting place across disciplines for some of the world’s foremost researchers, artists, writers, and leaders. Membership in the academy is regarded as one of the highest honors one can receive in academia and the arts in the USA.
Karen O'Brien will be part of an exclusive community that includes Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, heads of state, and groundbreaking thinkers from around the world.
Challenge and honour
– It is a great honor to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Although my relationship with my home country, the USA, is currently marked by challenges, it will be exciting to explore how membership in such an independent and historically significant institution can provide me with new opportunities to contribute and make an impact, says the professor and climate researcher.
She emphasizes that the Academy is one of the most recognized institutions in the USA, with a clear goal: to bring together some of the world’s leading thinkers to contribute to a better society. Work is done across disciplines – from natural sciences and technology to arts, humanities, and politics – to find solutions to significant global challenges. Through research, dialogue, and communication, the academy puts knowledge to work for the benefit of the community.
Loss and weakening
– It is a special time for academia in the USA. How does this affect you in your new role?
– What is happening in the USA now, with pressure on researchers and central – research and educational institutions, is deeply concerning. Many of my friends and colleagues are directly affected, and our shared international research collaborations – including in the UN – are being impacted.
– This evokes great sorrow in me, for I know it will lead to a loss of nature, a weakening of the fight against climate change, and significant consequences for the most vulnerable. At the same time, I feel a strong drive and motivation to mobilize – to use my voice and position to contribute where I can to make a difference, O'Brien concludes.