American Academy of Arts, Sciences taps 2 from Emory

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences on Monday named Emory neurology professor Mahlon DeLong and university president James Wagner fellows of the institution.

DeLong and Wagner are among 210 new fellows, ranging from scientists, military generals to musicians, to be elected to the academy’s class of 2009.

DeLong holds numerous awards for his research on Parkinson’s Disease. His research, according to Emory officials, has led to more effective surgical treatments for patients suffering movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s.

Wagner, who was named president of Emory University in September 2003, is a former professor of materials science and engineering at John’s Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. He also also sits on several corporate and non-profit boards, including the Carter Center board.

The Emory academics join writers Thomas Pynchon, actor James Earl Jones and Mario Capecchi, the winner of a 2007 Nobel Prize in medicine for his research in gene targeting a new fellows with the academy.

The academy also elected 19 new honorary foreign members, including former South African President and Nelson Mandela, and Bono, the lead singer for U2 and advocate for humanitarian causes.

The academy, founded in 1780, is devoted to learning, scholarship and the study of complex global problems. The organization sponsors research projects and regularly hosts conferences at its headquarters in Cambridge, Mass.

There are roughly 4,000 fellows and 600 foreign honorary members currently in the academy.

Wagner and DeLong are scheduled to be formally inducted into the academy at a ceremony in Cambridge on Oct. 10.