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. It is the highest honor the Graduate School bestows, and awardees include some of Harvard’s most accomplished alumni. The 2011 recipients, announced at a ceremony on May 25, are: Heisuke Hironaka, Ph.D. ’60, Fields Medal-winning mathematician and popular author of 26 books on science, mathematics, education, and creativity; space-walking astrophysicist Jeffrey Alan Hoffman, Ph.D. ’71, professor of the practice of aerospace engineering at MIT; historian and former Stanford president Richard Wall Lyman, Ph.D. ’54, now Stanford’s Sterling professor of humanities emeritus; and scholar of U.S. history Nell Irvin Painter, Ph.D. ’74, Edwards professor of history emerita at Princeton.
The 2011 Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Centennial Medalists
The 2011 Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Centennial Medalists
Four scholars whose contributions to society were fostered at Harvard

You might also like
Parks and Rec Comedy Writer Aisha Muharrar Gets Serious about Grief
With Loved One, the Harvard grad and Lampoon veteran makes her debut as a novelist.
The Artist Edward Gorey—and Pets—at Harvard
Winter exhibits at Houghton Library
A New Prescription for Youth Mental Health
Kenyan entrepreneur Tom Osborn ’20 reimagines care for a global crisis.
Most popular
Explore More From Current Issue

Harvard Economist Wolfram Schlenker Is Tackling Climate Change
How extreme heat affects our land—and our food supply

The Origins of Europe’s Most Mysterious Languages
A small group of Siberian hunter-gatherers changed the way millions of Europeans speak today.

A Flu Vaccine That Actually Works
Next-gen vaccines delivered directly to the site of infection are far more effective than existing shots.