A person who is a member of an academy, especially one devoted to arts, sciences, or letters; a scholar or artist affiliated with such an institution.
From academy plus the suffix -ician (from Latin -icianus), which denotes a person skilled in or belonging to something. This suffix also appears in musician, physician, and technician, borrowing the prestige of professional expertise.
The -ician suffix is used for both prestigious professions (musician, physician) and institutional membership (academician, beautician), which is why 'academician' sounds more official and accomplished than 'academic'—the suffix itself carries authority.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.