David Morrison, a professor in both the departments of mathematics and physics and currently chair of the mathematics department, has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His selection brings to 34 the number of UCSB faculty members who have been named fellows of the academy.

The academy is an independent policy research center that conducts interdisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. Since its founding in 1780, the academy has elected leading "thinkers and doers" from each generation, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, Daniel Webster and Ralph Waldo Emerson in the 19th century, and Margaret Mead and Martin Luther King Jr. in the 20th century. The current membership includes more than 250 Nobel laureates and more than 60 Pulitzer Prize winners.

"The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the nation's most prestigious honorary societies, and David Morrison's election as a member is a well-deserved honor," said UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang. "I congratulate Professor Morrison on this outstanding achievement. As a member of the academy, he joins some of the world's most accomplished leaders from academia, business, public affairs, the humanities and the arts, including 33 other UC Santa Barbara faculty members."