Dean Lola Eniola-Adefeso elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
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Since 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences has honored excellence and convened leaders from across disciplines and divides to examine new ideas, address issues of importance, and work together “to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.”
UIC College of Engineering Dean and Richard and Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering Professor Lola Eniola-Adefeso has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Eniola-Adefeso is one of 250 members elected in 2025 to the academy. She joins six other UIC faculty members who are already members of the academy.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to join the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,” Eniola-Adefeso said. “To be recognized by such a historic and respected institution is deeply meaningful — not just for me, but for the students, colleagues, mentors, and family members who have all been vital to my journey. This honor reflects the vibrant, collaborative spirit we foster at UIC Engineering, and I’m excited to contribute to the Academy’s work alongside so many inspiring leaders.”
The Academy’s founders – including John Adams and John Hancock – envisioned an organization that would recognize accomplished individuals and engage them in meeting the nation’s challenges. The first members elected to the Academy in 1781 included Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. The newest members, announced today, have distinguished themselves in academia, the arts, industry, policy, research, and science.
“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,” said Academy President Laurie L. Patton. “We invite every new member to celebrate their achievement and join the Academy in our work to promote the common good.”
“The Academy honors excellence across a wide range of disciplines and professions, and our newly elected members have demonstrated expertise and leadership of astonishing breadth and impact,” said Chair of the Board Goodwin Liu, Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court. “We look forward to engaging their diverse talents and experiences through Academy initiatives that bring interdisciplinary inquiry and unfettered pursuit of knowledge to bear on our society’s greatest challenges.”
The new class joins Academy members elected before them, including Benjamin Franklin (elected 1781) and Alexander Hamilton (1791) in the eighteenth century; Ralph Waldo Emerson (1864), Maria Mitchell (1848), and Charles Darwin (1874) in the nineteenth; Albert Einstein (1924), Robert Frost (1931), Margaret Mead (1948), Milton Friedman (1959), Martin Luther King, Jr. (1966), and Jacques Derrida (1985) in the twentieth; and, in this century, Madeleine K. Albright (2001), Antonin Scalia (2003), Jennifer Doudna (2003), John Legend (2017), David W. Miliband (2018), Anna Deavere Smith (2019), Salman Rushdie (2022), and Xuedong Huang (2023).
Induction ceremonies for new members will occur in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in October 2025.