From the Chair of the Board of Directors

Since its establishment in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences has helped sustain the vitality of our nation, along with an awareness of the need for innovative, interdisciplinary solutions to the world’s most complex challenges. As I reflect on a year marked by tremendous upheaval on many fronts, I believe that the Academy’s enduring commitment to our founding values is more important than ever. I am deeply grateful for the contributions of our members’ intellectual leadership and philanthropy that make this possible.

I commend my fellow members and the Academy staff for producing an impressive body of work this year, undeterred but appropriately influenced by the disruptions of COVID-19. The Commission on the Arts, Making Justice Accessible, and Rethinking the Humanitarian Health Response to Violent Conflict–projects that were all well underway in spring 2020–took on even greater significance and quickly pivoted to account for the inequities magnified by the pandemic. In June, we released Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century, the final report of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. The report offers 31 actionable recommendations to strengthen American democracy by 2026, our nation’s 250th anniversary. It could not have come at a more critical moment in our history, when we are witnessing extraordinary polarization at the same time as a civic reawakening and a unifying love of country.

In the time ahead, I hope that the Academy can continue to count on your involvement and generous support. I look forward to our ongoing collaboration and fellowship.

Nancy C. Andrews