WASHINGTON – On September 21, 2024, Howard University President Ben Vinson III, Ph.D., was formally inducted into the prestigious American Academy of Arts & Sciences (Academy), recognizing his exceptional contributions to scholarship and leadership.

Joining a distinguished group of international leaders, President Vinson becomes part of an elite cohort of 250 members elected in 2024 across five divisions: Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Biological Sciences; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Humanities and Arts; and Leadership, Policy, and Communications.

The 2024 class includes prominent figures such as New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie, acclaimed actor and producer George Clooney, and Olympian and philanthropist Grant Hill.

President Vinson joins an illustrious list of Howard University affiliates who have previously been inducted into the Academy, including President Emeritus Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., A. Wade Boykin, Ph.D., Sonya T. Smith, Ph.D., and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, among others.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this recognition from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences,” said Vinson. “I look forward to engaging with such an esteemed group of thought leaders and visionaries in advancing scholarship that addresses some of the most complex issues facing our nation.”

A renowned historian specializing in the African diaspora, particularly in Latin America, Vinson became the 18th president of Howard University in September 2023. His groundbreaking work, Before Mestizaje: The Frontiers of Race and Caste in Colonial Mexico, earned him the 2019 Howard F. Cline Book Prize in Mexican History. Vinson also serves on the Academy’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship and currently chairs its subcommittee on higher education.

A summa cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, Vinson holds a bachelor’s degree in history and classical studies. He earned his Ph.D. in Latin American history from Columbia University with distinction. His extensive academic achievements have been supported by numerous fellowships from prestigious organizations, including the Fulbright Commission, National Humanities Center, Social Science Research Council, and the Ford, Rockefeller, and Mellon foundations.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences, founded in 1780 by leaders such as John Adams and John Hancock, has a longstanding mission to celebrate the life of the mind and to advance knowledge in the arts and sciences for the benefit of society. Past members have included such luminaries as Albert Einstein, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Madeleine Albright.

“We honor these artists, scholars, scientists, and leaders for their curiosity, creativity, and courage to reach new heights,” said David Oxtoby, President of the Academy. “We welcome them to join us in addressing today’s challenges and advancing the common good.”

Vinson and the 2024 class were inducted at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Mass.

Media Contacts:

Lydia Sermons, Vice President and Chief Communications Officer

Cedric Mobley, Assistant Vice President of Strategic Communications, Media, and Editorial Services

mediaservices@howard.edu

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