2 UVA scientists elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

April 29, 2026
Portraits of James N. Galloway and Edward H. Egelma.

UVA scientists James N. Galloway, left, and Edward H. Egelman are among the 252 leaders elected this year to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. (Contributed photos)

Two University of Virginia scientists have been elected to the , joining a distinguished group that includes George Washington, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King Jr.

Edward H. Egelman, of the School of Medicine, and James N. Galloway, of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, are among the 252 leaders elected this year across academia, science, policy and the arts.

Founded during the Revolutionary War by John Adams, John Hancock and other scholar-patriots, the academy recognizes individuals whose work advances the public good.

Egelman studies how proteins and DNA are organized and interact, helping scientists better understand the building blocks of life. He has developed widely used methods to map disease-causing bacteria, helping researchers better understand how bacteria attach to cells and cause infection.

Discovery and Innovation: Daily research. Life-changing results.
Discovery and Innovation: Daily research. Life-changing results.

“This is truly a great honor for me,” Egelman said, “but it was only possible due to the students and postdoctoral fellows in my lab and my collaborators from around the world.”

Galloway has spent decades studying how human activity affects the environment. His pioneering research on acid rain in the 1970s helped shape the understanding of its impact on ecosystems. More recently, his work has focused on improving how nitrogen – a greenhouse gas – is used in food production, helping position UVA as a leader in reducing institutional nitrogen footprints.

“I am doubly pleased that this recognition … is not solely from a biogeochemical perspective, but also the human and social dimensions that are involved,” Galloway said. “This honor would not have happened without the support … from my family, my students, my colleagues and the University.”

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