UCLA’s Heather Maynard, Sorin Popa, Marilyn Raphael and the late Edward Leamer have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for their achievements in original research. The four professors are part of a new class of 120 members and 30 international members, the academy announced today. Membership in the academy is among the most prestigious honors in the United States scientific community, requiring election by a scholar’s peers. The nongovernmental organization now has 2,662 active members, who can be called on by the federal government to provide their expertise on issues regarding science and technology.
UCLA’s new National Academy of Sciences members for 2025 are:
Edward Leamer (posthumous)
Distinguished professor emeritus of global economics and management, UCLA Anderson School of Management
Over the course of an academic career spanning five decades at UCLA, Leamer, who died Feb. 25, made profound contributions to the field of economics in areas as varied as research methodologies, global economics and economic forecasting. He was the author of five books and more than 100 papers in leading academic journals, including his seminal 1983 article “Let’s Take the Con Out of Econometrics,” in which he argued that his colleagues needed to take a more critical approach and adopt greater transparency in their economic modeling to avoid limitations and potential biases. As director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast from 2000 to 2016, his quarterly economic predictions were closely watched across media, business, government and other fields, both in California and across the country.
At UCLA Anderson, where he taught courses in business and global economics, Leamer chaired more than 30 doctoral committees, and his students went on to hold important roles across academia, government and the private sector, both in the U.S. and internationally.
“It can be difficult to summarize Ed’s myriad essential contributions to the field of economics because his specific interests broadened, shifted and evolved throughout his career,” UCLA Anderson Dean Antonio Bernardo said at the time of Leamer’s death. “But it is impossible to overstate his impact.”
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Heather Maynard
Professor of chemistry and biochemistry, UCLA College
Maynard, UCLA’s Dr. Myung Ki Hong Professor of Polymer Science and associate director for technology and development at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, is a worldwide leader in the development of protein-polymer conjugates, which are important therapeutics for a variety of diseases. In her lab, she develops new synthetic methods to make the materials, invents new polymers to improve properties such as stability, and demonstrates the preclinical efficacy of her conjugates with an eye toward translation for human health. She also works in the area of precision medicine, designing “smart materials” that respond to disease states in the body.
Maynard, who is an associate editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, also co-directs the National Science Foundation–funded BioPACIFIC Materials Innovation Platform, an initiative at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. Her research work has been recognized with numerous honors, including election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the U.K.’s Royal Society of Chemistry. Maynard has been UCLA faculty member since 2002.
“I am thrilled to be elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences, which has an enormous impact on promoting, supporting and distilling innovative science in the United States and around the world,” Maynard said. “ I feel incredibly honored to be part of this illustrious community.”
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Sorin Popa
Professor of mathematics, UCLA College
Popa is internationally recognized for his work in operator algebras related to quantum physics and is regarded as one of the leading figures in modern mathematical analysis. In addition to quantum physics, his work has influenced areas as diverse as group theory and ergodic theory. A UCLA professor since 1987, Popa earned wide acclaim in the mathematics community for elaborating a revolutionary new method for classifying von Neumann algebras, operator algebras associated with actions of groups on measure spaces. His work led to the solution of many mathematical problems that were believed to be unsolvable for several decades and to new concepts in deformation/rigidity theory.
A former chair of the UCLA math department, Popa has been a mentor to and collaborator with generations of students. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for his groundbreaking work and is an elected fellow of both the American Mathematical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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Marilyn Raphael
Professor of geography, UCLA College and UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Raphael is a climate scientist who studies global climate change, atmospheric circulation, and the complex dynamics behind how and why Antarctica’s sea ice levels vary from season to season. Her recent research indicates that melting Antarctic sea ice is becoming far less likely to recover, suggesting the continent’s ice system is undergoing a major transformation. Raphael is the author of more than 60 academic papers, many of them highly cited, and is the co-author of “The Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate Change: A Complete Visual Guide,” which received the Most Popular Book award from Atmospheric Science Librarians International. Her work and writing continues to shape both academic inquiry and public understanding of polar climate dynamics.
A UCLA faculty member since 1998, Raphael is the former director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and the former chair of UCLA’s geography department. A past president of the American Association of Geographers and former co-chair of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research’s expert group on sea ice processes, Raphael serves on the National Academies Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate and is co-lead of the World Climate Research Programme’s Polar Climate Predictability Initiative. In addition to her research, she has been active in mentoring students and advocating for the inclusion of traditionally underrepresented groups in climate science.
“It is a tremendous honor to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences,” Raphael said. “I feel grateful to have my research and service be valued so highly by the community. I look forward to working with the academy to advance its mission of ‘fostering a broad understanding of science,’ especially in the Antarctic.”
Source: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/4-faculty-elected-to-national-academy-of-sciences.
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