Ann Arbor Times

Five University of Michigan professors have been selected as members of the 2025 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This year, the academy has welcomed nearly 250 scholars, recognizing their significant contributions across various fields.

Academy President Laurie Patton remarked, “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.”

The selected faculty members include Toni Antonucci, who is the Elizabeth M. Douvan Collegiate Professor of Psychology and a research professor at the Institute for Social Research Life Course. Her work centers on social relations and health across different stages of life.

David Dunning holds the Mary Ann and Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Professorship in the Study of Human Understanding and his research investigates human misbelief and decision-making processes.

Paul Johnson, a professor of history and Afroamerican and African studies, has scholarly interests in hybrid forms of agency in the Americas and the role of secrecy in religious practices, laws, and states.

Janet Smith serves as the associate director of the Life Sciences Institute and her research aims to elucidate biological processes by studying the structures of essential protein molecules.

Celeste Watkins-Hayes, who is the Joan and Sanford Weill Dean of Public Policy, focuses her research on how inequality intersects with public policy and human service institutions, especially regarding HIV/AIDS, poverty, and socio-economic disparities.