The American Academy of Arts and Sciences inducted three UT professors from the College of Liberal Arts on Sept. 30 for their expertise and leadership in their fields. 

While honoring members across a broad academic range, including the arts, research and science, the academy inducted literature expert Geraldine Heng, classical historian Thomas Palaima and social psychologist James Pennebaker into the organization this year. 

“Professors Heng, Palaima and Pennebaker are all giants in their respective fields who have led and continue to lead their disciplinary dialogues,” said COLA dean Ann Huff Stevens in the University’s press release. “We are overjoyed that the AAAS has honored their contributions, and grateful for the impacts they have all made on liberal arts education at UT.”

Heng, the Mildred Hajek Vacek and John Roman Vacek Chair in the English department, is a medievalist scholar who focuses on early critical race studies and early global studies. Heng did not comment at the time of publication.  

Palaima, the Robert M. Armstrong Centennial Professor, is an expert on ancient texts and Greek history specializing in society’s reactions to war and violence. He said it took a while to process that the academy selected him for membership, especially since he said the humanities field has been largely ignored recently in the light of other technological and educational developments.   

“When the Academy, in its letter, says ‘this means you are a giant in your field,’ it means something,” Palaima, director of Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory said. “There are new trends and new ways of looking at things. … It’s almost impossible to keep up with them all and the people who are practicing those (ways) think your way of looking at the common subject matter is outdated or no longer applies through our (new) understanding of human beings.”

Pennebaker said he mainly studies how individuals cope with traumatic experiences and the nature of words and linguistics. He said that since his work is relevant to so many academic fields, he’s grateful it finally received recognition. 

“It’s wonderful. It’s a really nice kind of public acknowledgement of the impact that the work has had, so it’s a real honor,” Pennebaker said. “Any recognition like that, I just can’t help but be grateful and happy and celebrate the moment.”