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 vibrant illustration of a red car parked, surrounded by cheerful people and historic buildings.

Derek Bok donated his car for a good cause.

A busy classroom filled with students working at computers, colorful decor, and a bright atmosphere.

In 2004, a frenzy spread across Harvard Yard in days. Four billion users later, we are only just catching up.

David Battat promotes alumni engagement.

Most popular

Blue-tinted illustration of a man holding his head and his smartphone above water.

Social Media Use and Adult Depression

A survey reveals suprising links between social media use and depression in adults.

Engraved diagram showing eight ornate cast-iron stoves with chimneys labeled No. 1 to No. 4

The Franklin Stove—A Historical Climate Change Adaptation

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

Children play outside while a homeschooled child watches through a window

What rights do children have in homeschooling?

Elizabeth Bartholet highlights risks when parents have 24/7 authoritarian control over their children.

Explore More From Current Issue

Decorative wrought iron gate framed by leafy branches, captured in sepia tones.

Former Indiana University president Thomas Ehrlich looks back on curriculum, co-education, and other major trends.

Smiling woman stands beside a large skull in a display cabinet.

Faculty

From competing in youth gymnastics to studying tetrapods, the Harvard curator has always chased her curiosity.

Colorful word cloud with various emotions and ideas related to learning and reflection.

Research

But it can’t replace human connection.