Professor Renu Malhotra has been elected as a member of both the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

The NAS is a private, non-profit society of scholars, established in 1863. It provides objective advising on science and technology issues. Members are elected by their peers in recognition of distinguished and continuing accomplishments in original research. Approximately 500 of its members  have won Nobel Prizes. LPL faculty members Randy Jokipii, Jay Melosh (Emeritus), and George Rieke are also elected members of the National Academy of Sciences.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences is one of the oldest and most prestigious academic societies in the U.S. It was established in 1780 to convene leaders from a variety of disciplines (academic, business, government) for the purpose of addressing critical challenges to society. Notable members from the discipline of science have included Percival Lowell, Albert Einstein, and Mariah Mitchell. Among the Academy Fellows, there are more than 250 Nobel laureates and 60 Pulitzer Prize winners.

Professor Malhotra received her Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell. Her research focus is orbital dynamics and theoretical astrophysics. She was the awarded the Harold C. Urey Prize (AAS Division for Planetary Sciences) in 1997. Professor Malhotra joined the LPL faculty in 2000. In 2010, she was named a Galileo Circle Fellow of the University of Arizona. Professor Malhotra is Chair of the Theoretical Astrophysics Program at the University of Arizona.

More information about Professor Malhotra and her election to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and to the National Academy of Sciences is available from two UA News articles: Academy Elects UA Planetary Sciences Professor and UA Professor Elected to National Academy of Sciences. A celebration in honor of these achievements was held at LPL on April 30,

Congratulations to Professor Malhotra!