University fellow elected to prestigious academy

Lidia Morawska has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

A University of Surrey professor has been elected as a member of a prestigious academy.

Lidia Morawska is the university’s vice-chancellor fellow and a leading expert on air quality at its Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE).

She is one of 25 new international honorary members selected by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Founded in 1780, previous members of the academy include George Washington, John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela.

Its members are world leaders in arts, sciences, business, philanthropy and public affairs.

'Astonished'

Prof Morawska said: “It is an incredible honour to be elected and to be recognised among the leading minds and innovators.

“I was astonished when I received the letter from the academy confirming this honour.”

In 2021, Prof Morawska was recognised by Time magazine as one of the world’s top 100 most influential people for her work on the spread of Covid-19 through airborne particles.

Prof Prashant Kumar, the founder of GCARE, said: “This is yet another great honour for Lidia that further emphasises the high esteem in which members of the academy hold her, and the respect she commands across the wider scientific community.”

The earliest members of the academy include Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and Alexander Graham Bell.

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