The American Academy: Bridging Disciplines and Democracy

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided further evidence that a world of increasingly complex challenges requires a commitment to reaching beyond boundaries, crossing disciplines, bridging research and practice, and welcoming diverse perspectives. David Oxtoby, President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, describes how one of the nation’s oldest learned societies is reinventing itself to address the challenges of today—and how we can all work together across institutions, professional societies, and disciplines to serve the common good.