Alumni | June 8, 2020

2020 GSAS Centennial Medalists

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ honorands

From The July-August 2020 Issue

Pictured are Stephen Cook, Albert Fishlow, Helen Vendler, and Margaret Kivelson — Clockwise from top left: Stephen Cook, Albert Fishlow, Helen Vendler, and Margaret Kivelson.
Photographs courtesy of Harvard 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 2020 recipients, announced on May 27, are: Stephen Cook, Ph.D. ’66, a computational theorist and mathematician; Albert Fishlow, Ph.D. ’63, a development economist and historian; Margaret Kivelson ’50, Ph.D. ’57, RI ’66, a space and planetary physicist; and Helen Vendler, Ph.D. ’60, Porter University Professor emerita, beloved Harvard teacher and poetry critic. For more about the honorands, see harvardmag.com/centennial-20.

Published in the July-August 2020 print issue under the headline “Centennial Medalists,” in the Alumni section.

You might also like

A group of choir singers performs in a cathedral

The Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum reunites for a 50th anniversary tour around France.

A man in a suit waves while smiling, with greenery in the background.

He was Harvard’s quintessential people person.

Soccer player and goalkeeper Matt Freese standing in front of the net

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

Most popular

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

In her memoir All That's Unseen, Emilee Hackney explores religion, friendship, and home.

Close-up of a bronze scale symbolizing justice, with soft lighting in the background.

The organization said its amicus brief had not been reviewed internally.

Illustration of diverse healthcare professionals around a central medical cross symbol.

AI Outperforms Doctors in Emergency Room Tasks, New Harvard Study Shows

Researchers say the technology could help physicians with triage, diagnosis.

Explore More From Current Issue

An open book with a film strip emerging, trailing popcorn and a dancer silhouette.

Letters to the Editor

Readers Respond to Our Adaptations Survey

We asked people to share their favorite art adaptations. Here’s what they said.

Colorful abstract design resembling an octopus with intricate swirls and patterns.

Research

Growing liver implants, mapping the sense of smell, and journalism at risk

A chaotic scene in a messy room with people engaging in various activities, some cleaning.

Harvard History

Until the 1950s, professionals cleaned up after students in the dorms.