Three professors at the University of California, Santa Cruz were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.
Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Jack Baskin Chair of Computer Engineering Lise Getoor, Professor Emerita of Literature and Creative Writing Karen Tei Yamashita, and Professor Emerita of Latin American and Latino Studies Patricia Zavella are three of 250 new members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences this year and join 36 other members from UC Santa Cruz.
Zavella taught in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department and is an anthropologist by training. Zavella was an early leader in the study of intersectionality for working Chicanas. Her research focuses on topics like reproductive justice, poverty, transnational migration by Mexicans, Chicanx and Latinx studies, and feminism. She is a former director of the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas.
Getoor holds the Jack Baskin Endowed Chair in Computer Engineering. Her research is in the areas of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and probabilistic reasoning – making decisions in situations of uncertainty. She works with graph-structured, semi-unstructured and unstructured data sets to create and employ statistical models. Her research mixes tools from different areas of computer science to deal with the challenges of incompleteness, uncertainty, and bias in data.
Getoor is also an advocate for ethics and responsible data science, addressing both the technical and societal implications of emerging data science technology. This work tackles issues of privacy and bias in new and powerful algorithmic tools. She is considered a leader in this field and has convened groups and given multiple keynote talks at various conferences on the subject.
Yamashita is a highly acclaimed writer. Her many recognitions include a 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Book Foundation. Yamashita is the author of Sensei and Sensibility, Through the Arc of the Rain Forest, Brazil-Maru, Tropic of Orange, Circle K Cycles, I Hotel, and Anime Wong, all published by Coffee House Press. She has been a US Artists Ford Foundation Fellow and co-holder of the University of California Presidential Chair for Feminist & Critical Race & Ethnic Studies.
These exceptional individuals embody the spirit of excellence and intellectual curiosity that define the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Their election to the Academy reflects their unwavering dedication to advancing knowledge and addressing societal challenges. As they join the ranks of esteemed members, they are poised to contribute their expertise towards the Academy's mission of fostering interdisciplinary engagement and advancing the common good.
Founded in 1780 in the midst of revolution – by John Adams, John Hancock, and others – the Academy’s membership and work have changed greatly over the centuries while remaining faithful to a charter founded on ideals that celebrate the life of the mind, the importance of knowledge, and the belief that the arts and sciences are “necessary to the interest, honor, dignity and happiness of a free, independent and virtuous people.”
The induction ceremonies for the new members will take place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in September 2024.
