Myles W. Jackson Elected to American Philosophical Society
Myles W. Jackson, Ernst and Elisabeth Albers-Schönberg Professor in the History of Science in the Institute's School of Historical Studies, is among the 2026 electees to the American Philosophical Society (APS). With this election, Jackson, a historian of science whose research explores the intersections between science, technology, aesthetics, history, and society, joins a cohort of 5,896 APS members who have distinguished themselves with "extraordinary accomplishments in all fields spanning STEM and the humanities."
Appointed to the Institute's Faculty in 2018, Jackson is noted for his cross-disciplinary research methodologies and the broad scope of his academic expertise—from the artisanal production of scientific knowledge in nineteenth-century Germany to issues of intellectual property, knowledge sharing, ethical regulation, and bioengineering. His books include The Genealogy of a Gene: Patents, HIV/AIDS and Race (MIT Press, 2015), Harmonious Triads: Physicists, Musicians and Instrument Makers in Nineteenth-Century Germany (MIT Press, 2006), and Spectrum of Belief: Joseph von Fraunhofer and the Craft of Precision Optics (MIT Press, 2000). His most recent publication, Broadcasting Fidelity: German Radio and Early Electronic Music (Princeton University Press, 2024), a landmark history of early radio in Germany, has been described as a "tour de force" that is "both authoritative and compelling."
Alongside Jackson, a number of other IAS-affiliated scholars were elected to the APS this year. These include, from the School of Social Science, Sophia Rosenfeld, Ed Kaufmann Founders' Circle Member (2014–15), and Paul Starr, Member (1984–85). From the School of Historical Studies, Members Carla Hesse (1992–93), Mercedes García-Arenal (1988–89), and Daniel Elliot Garber (1985–86) were all elected.
Election to the APS is a truly historic honor: the earliest members of the society include Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine, "who set out to spread 'useful knowledge' throughout the young nation and the world."
Read the full list of 2026 APS members on the American Philosophical Society website.
