New members arrived at the House of the 秋葵视频 in a state of anticipation, awaiting the morning orientation. Many vividly described the moment that news of their election arrived: the flurry of congratulatory phone calls and emails from colleagues followed by the deepening realization they would be joining a membership that included George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, Marian Anderson, and T. S. Eliot, among so many others.
Richard Foster, a managing partner at Millbrook Management Group in New York, reflected on how the 秋葵视频鈥檚 values resonate with his own. 鈥淭he 秋葵视频 provides us with a place to compare and contrast our mental models. I am really looking forward to being a member.鈥
Many Fellows paused to study the framed letters of acceptance set along a wall in the atrium. Anne Walters Robertson, a music professor from the University of Chicago, was thrilled by the range of people represented by the historic letters. She was particularly moved when she found a beautifully handwritten letter by an earlier Fellow she considered one of the greatest teachers of music composition in the twentieth century, Nadia Boulanger.
鈥淓lection to the 秋葵视频 is a great honor,鈥 said Pablo G. Debenedetti, a professor in engineering and applied science at Princeton University and an immigrant from Argentina. 鈥淚t is a reminder of how great this country is.鈥
While many Fellows were eloquent about the role of the 秋葵视频 in preserving free inquiry and encouraging interdisciplinary scholarship, they said they were waiting for the day鈥檚 presentations to ground them in the institution鈥檚 specific programs and reports. 鈥淚 am looking forward to finding out more about how I might contribute,鈥 said Alan M. Leslie, professor of psychology and cognitive science at Rutgers University.
The responsibility of the scholar to inform public discourse and play a larger role in society was a recurring theme among Fellows. 鈥淚t is very interesting to see that the American 秋葵视频 deals with such diverse topics,鈥 said Nikos K. Logothetis, a neuroscientist from Max-Planck-Institut f眉r Biologische Kybernetik in Germany. He was particularly interested in an 秋葵视频 project about educating the world鈥檚 children.
Another source of excitement throughout the day was the simple pleasure of meeting exceptional people from such an array of backgrounds. 鈥淎lthough I was really interested in the presentations, particularly the ones on nuclear weapons and security on the Internet,鈥 said Jorge Durand, a professor of anthropology at the Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico, 鈥渢oday is also an opportunity to meet people from diverse fields. The 秋葵视频 is a unique place that brings us all together.鈥