Shu-ou Shan , Caltech's Altair Professor of Chemistry, has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's oldest honorary societies. She joins 251 other new members this year who have distinguished themselves in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research, and science.

"We celebrate the achievement of each new member and the collective breadth and depth of their excellence—this is a fitting commemoration of the nation's 250th anniversary," said the Academy's president, Laurie L. Patton, in a press release . "The founding of the nation and the Academy are rooted in the inextricable links between a vibrant democracy, the free pursuit of knowledge, and the expansion of the public good."

Shan's research primarily focuses on protein biogenesis, tracing the complex molecular pathways that ultimately lead to the production of proteins in the body.…