Professor Walt Wolfram is to be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University in October. Wolfram, a William C. Friday Distinguished University Professor, is the first non-STEM professor from NC State to be inducted into the academy.
Jeff Braden, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of psychology, said this is a big deal not just for CHASS, but for the university as a whole.
“What makes it so monumental for our campus is that this is the first time that we’ve had someone outside of the STEM field inducted into the American Academy,” Braden said.
NC State has had about six professors inducted prior to Wolfram, Braden said.
“It’s exceptional,” Braden said. “Walt is brilliant. He wouldn’t be being inducted into this academy if he wasn’t. This scholarship is exceptional. I think what really sets Walt apart is his humility and how much he loves NC State.”
The Academy of Arts and Sciences was founded by John Adams, John Hancock and other founding fathers. To be inducted into the academy, an individual must be nominated by a current member of the academy.
“As near as I can figure out, it’s basically for people who had some significant impacts in science and the arts and sometimes in life,” Wolfram said about the academy.
Wolfram is a professor of linguistics and has done work studying the native dialects of North Carolina. He has created many award-winning documentaries; researched the native dialects of Ocracoke Island, the Cherokee Tribe, urban cities and many others; and received the North Carolina Award. Additionally, worked as the president of the Linguistic Society of America and currently heads the Language and Life Project at NC State.
Wolfram said his work is focused on North Carolina as a linguistic treasure. He said he takes the research he does back to the communities he studies to celebrate their traditions and see how they relate to their story being told through their native dialects.
“I have this commitment, that whenever you do research, if you have knowledge, then you should share it,” Wolfram said. “Not only with other researchers, but you should share with the community’s research; you should share it with the public.”
The induction is to honor him as well as to recognize the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at NC State.
“It’s a real mark that NC State is not just great in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but our exceptional scholarship in research carries over into fields including humanities and social sciences,” Braden said.
