Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 2018 Centennial Medalists

Contributions to society from graduate research

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences honorands (from left) Choon Fong Shih, Harold Luft, Beth Adelson, and Guido Goldman | Photograph courtesy of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

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 studies. It is the highest honor GSAS bestows, and awardees include some of Harvard’s most accomplished alumni. The 2018 recipients, announced at a ceremony on May 23, are: Beth Adelson, A.M. ’81, Ph.D. ’83, a cognitive scientist; Guido Goldman, ’59, Ph.D. ’70, founding director of Harvard’s Center for European Studies; Harold Luft ’68, Ph.D. ’73, an expert in healthcare economics and policy; and Choon Fong Shih, S.M. ’70, Ph.D. ’73, an applied mathematician who specializes in fracture mechanics. For more about the honorands, see harvardmag.com/centennial-18.

You might also like

He was Harvard’s quintessential people person.

The former economics concentrator brings his talent for crunching numbers to netminding.

Graduates John Lithgow, Bill Rauch, and Bess Wohl took home prizes on Sunday night.

Most popular

Author and Harvard Divinity School writer-in-residence Terry Tempest Williams finds beauty in the world around us.

Fake social media posts aim to distract

Distraction seems to be the aim of a massive government campaign of fake social media posts.

The wealth and fall of David and Jackie Siegel: a documentary

A documentary film turns a lens on the “1 percenters.”

Explore More From Current Issue

Two colorful octopuses swim among vibrant coral and sea life in a lively underwater scene.

New Harvard research finds octopuses go beyond sight and touch to find mates.

Massachusetts Hall at Harvard Red brick building with a large clock on top, surrounded by green trees.

With a grade inflation vote and in the courts, the University argued that it’s taking steps to change.

A woman with long, silver hair rests her chin on her hand, wearing a black top.

Author and Harvard Divinity School writer-in-residence Terry Tempest Williams finds beauty in the world around us.