Centennial Medalists

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences honors four distinguished alumni.

From left: Robert Richardson, Gordon Wood, Louise Ryan, and Wade Davis

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 2015 recipients, announced at a ceremony on May 27, are: Wade Davis ’75, Ph.D. ’86, an ethnographer, ethnobotanist, writer, photographer, and filmmaker; Robert Richardson ’56, Ph.D. ’61, an American historian and biographer; Louise Ryan, Ph.D. ’83, head of the maths and information-sciences division at Australia’s national science agency; and Gordon Wood, Ph.D. ’64, Way University Professor and professor of history emeritus, at Brown University. For more about the honorands, see harvardmag.com/centennial-15.

Related topics

You might also like

Making Money Funny

Matt Levine’s spunky Bloomberg column

Stand-Up to Simmer Down

In comedy groups, students find ways to be absurd, present, and a little less self-conscious.

Most popular

Hold the Fries

Baked, boiled, and mashed potatoes are better.

The Professor Who Quantified Democracy

Erica Chenoweth’s data shows how—and when—authoritarians fall.

Harvard Layoffs Continue, with More to Come

In the wake of federal government actions, several Harvard schools and institutes are cutting costs.

Explore More From Current Issue

a crowd of people dancing in a street

Latin dancing fills the streets in Harvard Square   

Nicolo Maestas in a grey suit and wearing glasses sits with her arms on a table

The Harvard health economist not afraid to get in the weeds

Four 2025 Centennial Medal recipients standing outdoors in a row, smiling, with greenery and a brick building behind them.

Four alumni of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are honored.