UF anthropology professor inducted into American Academy

October 13, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Maxine L. Margolis, professor emerita of anthropology at the University of Florida and adjunct senior research scholar at the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University, was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on Saturday. The program celebrates pioneering research and scholarship, artistic achievement and exemplary service to society.

The 212 new fellows and 19 foreign honorary members are leaders in research, scholarship, business, the arts and public affairs. They come from 28 states and 11 countries and range in age from 33 to 83. This year’s group includes Nobel laureates; recipients of the Pulitzer and Pritzker prizes and MacArthur Fellowships; and winners of Academy, Grammy and Tony awards.

“I am delighted to have been inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,” Margolis said. “It is a singular honor to be a member of such a distinguished group.”

Her research interests include gender roles in the United States and transnational migration with a specific focus on Brazilian immigration including the effects of post-9/11 enforcement measures on Brazilians and other immigrants. She is the author or editor of seven books and is currently working on a book on the Brazilian diaspora worldwide.

Participants in the induction ceremony included dancer Edward Villella, mathematician Terence Tao, California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George, singer Emmylou Harris and actor James Earl Jones.

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. With headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., the academy’s work is advanced by its 4,600 elected members, who are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business and public affairs from around the world.