# Nicholas Dirks

> Nicholas B. Dirks runs the New York Academy of Sciences, one of the oldest scientific organizations in the United States. A historian and anthropologist by training, he led UC Berkeley as its 10th chancellor, chaired anthropology at Columbia, and writes books about empire, caste, and the future of the university.

- **Role:** President & CEO at The New York Academy of Sciences
- **Organizations:** The New York Academy of Sciences, UC Berkeley, Columbia University, University of Michigan, Caltech, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Council on Foreign Relations
- **From:** Illinois, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A., African and Asian Studies, Wesleyan University, M.A., History, University of Chicago, Ph.D., History and Anthropology, University of Chicago
- **Known for:** 10th Chancellor of UC Berkeley (2013-2017), Guggenheim Fellowship, MacArthur Foundation residential fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton

## Career timeline

- **1963** — Family relocates to Madras, India on a Fulbright
- **1981** — Assistant Professor, Caltech
- **1987** — Joins University of Michigan, history and anthropology
- **1997** — Chair of Anthropology, Columbia University
- **2004** — Executive Vice President for Arts and Sciences, Columbia
- **2013** — Becomes 10th Chancellor of UC Berkeley
- **2017** — Steps down as Berkeley Chancellor
- **2018** — Chancellor and Vice-Chairman, Whittle School & Studios
- **2020** — Named President & CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences
- **2023** — Publishes City of Intellect (Cambridge University Press)

## Achievements

- 10th Chancellor of UC Berkeley (2013-2017)
- Guggenheim Fellowship
- MacArthur Foundation residential fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
- Lionel Trilling Award for Castes of Mind
- Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Senior Member, Council on Foreign Relations
- Honorary degrees from universities in Beijing and Madras
- Launched the Tata Transformation Prize
- Created the International Science Reserve
- Co-founded the AI and Society Fellowship with Arizona State University
- Led the Light the Way campaign at Berkeley, ultimately raising $7 billion
- Established the Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute

## Latest updates

- **2024-01** — Profiled in Inside Higher Ed about his memoir of life in higher education leadership.
- **2023** — Published City of Intellect: The Uses and Abuses of the University with Cambridge University Press.

## Links

- Website: https://www.nicholasbdirks.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-dirks-84a1ab149
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nickdirks
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/nyasciences/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nicholas-dirks
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-30