Professor Emeritus James W. Pennebaker Elected to the National Academy of Sciences

James W. Pennebaker, professor emeritus of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin, is among the 150 scholars elected to the National Academy of Sciences as part of its latest class. Those elected as part of the 2025 cohort bring the total number of active members to 2,662 and the total number of international members to 556.

A pioneer of writing therapy, Pennebaker has studied the nature of physical symptoms, social behavior, expressive writing, group processes and education outcomes, and natural language, among other topics. He has researched the link between language and recovering from trauma and has been recognized by the American Psychological Association as one of the top researchers on trauma, disclosure and health. His text analysis program LIWC is used across psychology, computer science, businesses, law enforcement and medicine. He is now using language to track and understand cultural and historical shifts.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution established by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. Membership in the academy recognizes distinguished and continuing achievements in original research and is open to researchers from the U.S. and abroad.

"It is with great pleasure that we celebrate Jamie's election to the National Academy of Sciences," said David Schnyer, department chair and professor of psychology at UT. "This is a very well-deserved recognition of his extensive and lasting contributions to psychological science."

Pennebaker grew up in West Texas and received his bachelor's degree from Eckerd College in Florida. He returned to Texas to get his Ph.D. from UT in 1977. He taught in the departments of psychology at the University of Virginia and at Southern Methodist University, before settling at UT for the latter half of his career, where he taught thousands of students, published a dozen books and hundreds of articles, and conducted groundbreaking research.

He is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, a Fulbright fellow and the recipient of over a dozen other awards and honors. He has received grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Templeton Foundation, the U.S. Army Research Institute and other federal agencies.

Pennebaker will also deliver the College of Liberal Arts' 2025 commencement address May 8.