Centennial Medalists

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Centennial Medal, first awarded in 1989 on the occasion of the school’s hundredth anniversary, honors alumni who have made contributions to society that emerged from their graduate study at Harvard.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Centennial Medal, first awarded in 1989 on the occasion of the school’s hundredth anniversary, honors alumni who have made contributions to society that emerged from their graduate study at Harvard. This year’s honorands are: “singular scholar” of East Asian studies Ezra Vogel, Ph.D. ’58, Ford Research Professor of the social sciences at Harvard; “arts advocate” Earl Powell III, Ph.D. ’74, director of the National Gallery of Art; molecular biologist Susan Lindquist, Ph.D. ’77, of MIT and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research (see “What Stress Reveals,” page 10); and “stellar astronomer” Frank Shu, Ph.D. ’68, now at UC, San Diego.

The full citations are available here.

Related topics

You might also like

Harvard Alumni Win Two 2026 Nobel Prizes

Karl Deisseroth revolutionized neuroscience. Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has adjudicated cases in international courts concerning genocide.

Resculpting an Empire, Through Kitchen Scraps

Artists Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien turn a colonial symbol from Cambodia inside out.

Olympian Juliet Hochman Trains Athletes to Push Their Limits

The Harvard triathlete and coach says she helps normal people to “do extraordinary things.”

Most popular

How Philosophy at Harvard Saved Itself

As humanities shrink across higher education, one department is flourishing. Is its success a fluke, or a roadmap?

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Lafayette’s Unexpected Gift to George Washington: Pheasants

The two birds will be on display at Harvard this summer.

Explore More From Current Issue

St. Peter's Basilica at sunset, illuminated by purple and orange sky reflections in the river.

For advocacy and benevolence, three late alumni are reportedly in line for the Catholic Church’s highest honor.

Bronze statue of a seated figure holding a book, with a campus setting in the background.

As humanities shrink across higher education, one department is flourishing. Is its success a fluke, or a roadmap?

A man with a long beard and formal attire stands next to a chalkboard with an equation.

Two tales of University greats—and an encounter with a Tiger