MIT Faculty Members Elected to National Academy of Sciences for 2025

Five MIT faculty members, including Rodney Brooks, Parag Pathak, Scott Sheffield, Benjamin Weiss, and Yukiko Yamashita, have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for 2025. They were recognized for their "distinguished and continuing achievements in original research." The election brings the total number of active members to 2,662, with 556 international members.

Five distinguished faculty members from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for 2025. The election recognizes their "distinguished and continuing achievements in original research." The newly elected members include Rodney Brooks, Parag Pathak, Scott Sheffield, Benjamin Weiss, and Yukiko Yamashita. This addition brings the total number of active NAS members to 2,662, with 556 international members [3].

Rodney Brooks, a renowned roboticist, is known for his contributions to artificial intelligence and robotics. He has published extensively on topics such as model-based computer vision, path planning, and autonomous robots. Parag Pathak, an economist, is celebrated for his work on market design and education. His research has significantly influenced student placement and school choice mechanisms across the United States. Scott Sheffield, a mathematician, has made notable contributions to the geometry of Gaussian free field and its applications. Benjamin Weiss, a planetary scientist, has provided key insights into the history of our solar system, including the early nebular magnetic field and the moon’s core dynamo. Yukiko Yamashita is recognized for her work in computer science and artificial intelligence [3].

The NAS is a prestigious organization that provides science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations. It is a private, nonprofit institution established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. The election of these MIT faculty members underscores the institution's commitment to excellence in research and its significant contributions to various scientific fields.

References:
[1] https://www.nasonline.org/news-info/
[2] https://www.neowin.net/news/national-academy-for-ai-instruction-launched-with-support-from-microsoft-openai-and-others/
[3] https://news.mit.edu/2025/faculty-elected-national-academy-sciences-0714