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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Stevan Arnold, a professor of zoology at Oregon State University, has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Arnold was one of 210 new fellows and 19 foreign honorary members recognized as leaders in the sciences, humanities, arts, business, public affairs, and the nonprofit sector. This organization is one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies and a center for independent policy research.

Arnold, who is the director of the Oregon State Arthropod Collection, is a herpetologist and evolutionary biologist. He received his doctoral degree in zoology from the University of Michigan in 1972, and has received millions of dollars in research support from the National Science Foundation, much of it for studies of evolutionary processes and animal behavior.

Also elected as a fellow was Eric Charnov, a courtesy professor of fisheries at OSU and distinguished professor of biology at the University of New Mexico. Charnov does research in ecology, economics and evolution to understand the life history, reproductive, and foraging decisions of plants and animals, including humans. In the past 30 years Charnov has produced many of the most cited publications in evolutionary ecology.

Other members of the OSU faculty previously recognized as a fellow of this organization include Emery Castle, Jane Lubchenco, Mary Jo Nye and Kensal van Holde.

The new class will be inducted at a ceremony on Oct. 10, at the academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Mass.

Since its founding by John Adams, James Bowdoin, John Hancock and other scholar-patriots, this organization has elected what its officials call “the finest minds and most influential leaders from each generation,” including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, Daniel Webster and Ralph Waldo Emerson in the 19th, and Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill in the 20th. The membership includes more than 250 Nobel laureates and more than 60 Pulitzer Prize winners.

This year’s fellows include scholars, scientists, jurists, writers, artists, civic, corporate and philanthropic leaders from 28 states and 11 countries, representing universities, museums, national laboratories, private research institutes, businesses, and foundations. This year’s group also includes Nobel laureates and recipients of the Pulitzer and Pritzker prizes, MacArthur Fellowships, Academy, Grammy, and Tony awards, and the National Medal of Arts.