École Polytechnique Celebrates as Two Researchers Elected to French Academy of Sciences

On December 12, 2023, the French Academy of Sciences announced the election of 18 new life members, including two researchers from École polytechnique laboratories.

Josselin Garnier, researcher at the Center for Applied Mathematics (CMAP*) and professor at École polytechnique, was elected to the inter-section “Science Applications” of the institution. Sandrine Bony, CNRS research director at the Dynamic Meteorology Laboratory (LMD*), was elected to the “Sciences of the universe” section.

The new members are elected by the entire Academy, on the recommendation of the various sections that make it up. They then enroll in the section of their choice, says the Academy in a press release.

Josselin Garnier specializes in the modeling and study of random phenomena. In 2021, he was awarded the Fondation Simone et Cino Del Duca scientific prize for his work on wave scattering in complex environments for imaging purposes.

Sandrine Bony was awarded the 2018 CNRS silver medal. A researcher in climatology, she is particularly interested in the role of clouds in climate. In March 2023, she was awarded an ERC grant for her Maestro project, dedicated to understanding atmospheric convection.

To keep pace with the rapid advances in science, the French Academy of Sciences regularly elects new members, says the institution in its press release. “In this way, it ensures the broadest possible coverage of all scientific fields, including the most emerging ones, and nurtures the wealth of debate and work within its groups and committees,” the release adds.

In the early 2000s, the French Academy of Sciences amended its statutes to enable it to rejuvenate its membership. At each election session, at least 50% of new members are under 55. The Académie now has 279 members, 116 foreign associates and 58 correspondents.