A College of LAS faculty member has been elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the oldest honorary societies in the United States. Kenneth Suslick is among the 252 inductees for 2026.
Founded in 1780, the Academy recognizes scientists, artists, scholars and leaders who have distinguished themselves in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
Suslick works at the forefront of chemical sensing as the Marvin T. Schmidt Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and CEO of Iridescent Sensors in the U. of I. Research Park. He developed a device for artificial olfaction, the “optoelectronic nose,” capable of detecting harmful substances in the air such as poisonous gases, toxins and explosives. He also is a leading expert on the chemical and physical effects of ultrasound, including sonochemistry and sonoluminescence. Among his other recognitions, he is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Deana McDonagh, a professor of industrial design in the School of Art and Design, a Health Innovation Professor in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and the director of the (dis)Ability Design Studio at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology , and Tandy Warnow, a professor and the associate director of the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science and Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering, were also elected.
The new Academy members will be inducted in an October ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The complete list of members elected to the Academy is available on its website.
