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

At Harvard Talk, Retired Supreme Court Justice Breyer Defends Shadow Docket

The current law professor also spoke about affirmative action, partisanship, and the limits of “bright-line rules.”

Harvard Alumni Honored for University Service

The 2026 Harvard Medal recipients will be honored on June 5.

How Women Are Changing the NBA

From coaching staffs to front offices, female leaders are bringing new strategies to men’s basketball.

Most popular

Harvard Graduate Student Workers Strike

Union demands higher pay, protections for non-citizen members, and changes to the harassment complaint process.

Martin Nowak Placed on Leave a Second Time

Further links to Jeffrey Epstein surface in newly released files.

Explore More From Current Issue

Mercy Otis Warren in period attire writes at a desk by candlelight, surrounded by books.

The Woman Who Penned the Case for War

Mercy Otis Warren’s poetry and plays incited the Patriot movement.

Historical scene depicting a parade with soldiers and a town square in the background.

When the Revolution Hit Cambridge, Harvard Moved to Concord

College students broke hearts and windows during their year in exile.

A man holding a revolver and lantern, wearing a hat and coat, appears to be walking cautiously.

Scoundrels, Then and Now

On con men, Mark Twain, and the powers of the Harvard name