When Colorado State University Professor Temple Grandin was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences last spring, it was a tremendous honor. When she was invited to deliver the keynote lecture at the induction ceremony for the entire incoming class, that honor rose to another level entirely.
QUOTE FROM AMERICAN ACADEMY
On Oct. 9, Grandin delivered her lecture to new inductees and current members of the American Academy in Boston, Massachusetts. Her talk, “Educating Students Who Have Different Kinds of Minds,” focused on the varying ways that students take in information and express themselves, especially “visual thinkers” like herself.
TEMPLE GRANDIN QUOTE
The Academy’s induction lecture has taken a number of forms over the years, and those that have spoken in this capacity represent a truly illustrious group. Grandin joins a list of speakers that includes retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter, former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.
TEMPLE GRANDIN QUOTE
Since its founding in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences has served the nation as a champion of scholarship, civil dialogue and useful knowledge. As one of the nation’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centers, the academy convenes leaders from the academic, business and government sectors to address critical challenges facing our global society. Its ranks include winners of the Nobel Prize and the Pulitzer Prize, as well as Grammy, Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award winners, and other lauded intellectuals such as George Washington, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Mead and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Grandin was elected to the Academy in recognition of her innovations in animal handling and her autism advocacy. Her expertise has been utilized by major corporations such as Wendy’s International, Burger King, Whole Foods, Chipotle and McDonald’s Corporation, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she has trained auditors in animal care at livestock processing plants. Her approach to animal welfare is informed by Grandin’s own experiences with autism and through her perspective as a visual thinker. She is a tireless advocate for autism awareness, a role model for individuals across the autism spectrum, and an inspiration for families who have loved ones diagnosed with autism.
More information can be found at “Temple Grandin elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences.”
About the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The Academy’s membership of 4,600 Fellows and 600 Foreign Honorary Members includes many of the most accomplished scholars and practitioners worldwide. Through studies, publications and programs on the Humanities, Arts and Education; Science, Engineering and Technology; Global Security and International Affairs; and American Institutions and the Public Good, the Academy provides authoritative and nonpartisan policy advice to decision-makers in government, academia and the private sector.
For more information, visit the American Academy of Arts and Sciences website.
A story that includes the video of Grandin’s presentation to the Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as photos will be posted on SOURCE soon.
