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Arts and Sciences Academy defends leader’s honesty

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the prestigious 233-year-old scholarly society in Cambridge, Mass., said on Tuesday that it is standing behind its president, Leslie Cohen Berlowitz, after accusations that she had falsely claimed on at least two grant proposals to have a doctorate....

The accusations, reported in The Boston Globe on Tuesday, sent shock waves through intellectual circles in Cambridge and beyond, along with speculation that a leader who has long weathered criticism about her sharp-elbowed management style might be out the door....

Few ... associated with the academy were willing to speak on the record, though even some who spoke warmly of Ms. Berlowitz suggested that a deliberate attempt to inflate credentials would be unforgivable.

“I have enjoyed a good working relationship with her for many years, and appreciate many of the things she has done for the academy,” David Hollinger, a historian at the University of California, Berkeley, and a fellow since 1997, said via e-mail. “But if it comes to be clearly proven that she has systematically deceived the academy, she should resign forthwith.”

Read entire article at NYT