GSAS Centennial Medalists

Scholars whose contributions to society emerged from their graduate study at Harvard

The 2010 honorands are (from left) Stephen Fischer-Galati, Eric Maskin, Martha Nussbaum, and David Bevington.

The 2010 honorands are (from left) Stephen Fischer-Galati, Eric Maskin, Martha Nussbaum, and David Bevington. | Photograph by Stu Rosner

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 (from left): Stephen Fischer-Galati ’46, Ph.D. ’49, a specialist in East European history and civilization and a professor emeritus at the University of Colorado; economist and 2007 Nobel laureate Eric Maskin ’72, Ph.D. ’76, of the Institute for Advanced Study; classical philologist Martha Nussbaum, Ph.D. ’75, professor of law and ethics at the University of Chicago (see “Education for the Soul,” page 16); and Shakespeare scholar David Bevington ’52, Ph.D. ’59, a professor emeritus at the University of Chicago. For more about the medalists, visit harvardmag.com/2010-centennial-medalists.

You might also like

Harvard Honors Its Oldest Alumni

At 97 and 101, Linda Cabot Black ’51 and William “Bill” Dubey ’46 led the way on Alumni Day.

Shakespeare and Stephen King Have a Lot in Common

Caroline Bicks, the celebrated Shakespeare scholar, studies how horror and fear work in literature. 

Harvard Elects New Overseers, HAA Directors

Leaders for the governing board and alumni association were chosen by an alumni vote.

Most popular

The Franklin Stove—A Historical Climate Change Adaptation

Historian Joyce E. Chaplin reinterprets an early era of invention, industrialization, and climate challenge

Ronny Chieng Tells Harvard to ‘Destroy AI’ as Graduates Cheer

The comedian and The Daily Show host gave the keynote address for Class Day 2026.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Explore More From Current Issue

Four stylized magnifying glasses arranged in a gradient background with abstract patterns.

AI Hunts For Stolen Harvard Coins

A museum curator and a computer scientist track down ancient coins taken in a legendary heist.

Woman with long hair, smiling, wearing a black sweater, in a textured beige background.

For This Poet, AI Is a Writing Partner

Sasha Stiles trained a chatbot on her manuscripts. Now, her poems rewrite themselves.

A glowing orange sun with a star and a trailing gas cloud in space.

A Harvard Astrophysicist Explains the Bizarre Behavior of a Supergiant Star

The dimming and rapid rotation of Betelgeuse may be caused by a hidden companion.