Last week, The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) announced its 2009 class of fellows and foreign honorary members which included 17 Harvard professors. The Academy chose its 231 new members from the sciences, the humanities, the arts, business, public affairs, and the non profit sector.

The AAAS is unique in that it is both a prestigious honorary society as well as an independent research institute that “undertakes studies of complex and emerging problems,” according to a statement issued by the Academy.

“We conduct research on a broad range of pressing societal issues and we draw on our members across all the disciplines to participate in that research program,” said Paul Karoff, a spokesperson for AAAS.

“This is obviously a very prestigious honour,” Karoff said, adding that the Academy’s multi-disciplinary and multi-professional nature is unique in allowing interaction between leaders from various fields.

“The individuals selected for membership are people who are identified as having made very significant contributions both in their field as well as often times to society at large,” Karoff said.

Jamaica Kincaid, a visiting lecturer on African and American Studies at Harvard and one of the newly-elected members, said she was “very touched and honoured” to receive the recognition.

Kincaid’s primary focus is the skill of writing, which comprises her courses at Harvard.

“One of the wonderful things that Harvard offers is an elective and these are the courses I usually teach,” she said.

Harvard Law School Professor Michael J. Klarman, another of the new honorees, said the award is likely due to his book “From Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality,” which won the Bancroft Prize in 2005.

“I am pretty sure that if the academy was interested in any aspect of my work it would have been that,” he said.

“I am especially impressed by the class of people I am going in with, a lot of which I have been huge admirers of,” Klarman added, pointing to James McPherson—whom he described as “one of the best civil war historians ever”—and Nelson Mandela, who was elected as a Foreign Honorary Member.

“That takes your breath away,” Klarman said.

Steven Shapin, a History of Science professor who was also elected, said he will “continue to do teaching research and writing as much as I have been.”

He added, “I just look forward with pleasure to becoming a member of what seems to be a very distinguished body.”

The newly elected members are to be formally inducted into the AAAS in a ceremony in October.