Philip Kan Gotanda is one of six UC Berkeley faculty members to be elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2023. Founded in 1780, the Academy is both an honorary society and an independent policy organization with initiatives in the arts, democracy, education, global affairs, and science. Among the Academy's members are acclaimed theater artists such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Suzan-Lori Parks, Anna Deavere Smith, and Mary Zimmerman.
Gotanda, a professor of theater, dance, and performance studies, has been instrumental in bringing stories of Asians in the United States, in particular Japanese Americans, to mainstream American theater. He is also an independent filmmaker and songwriter. His libretto for the opera, Both Eyes Open, with composer Max Duykers, premiered in 2022 at the Presidio Theater in San Francisco.
Read the Berkeley News announcement to learn about all six faculty members to be elected to the Academy this year.
