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
Four scholars whose contributions to society were fostered at Harvard
From left to right: Richard Wall Lyman, Nell Irvin Painter, Heisuke Hironaka, and Jeffrey Alan Hoffman | Photograph by Jim Harrison
You might also like
Harvard Honors Its Oldest Alumni
At 97 and 101, Linda Cabot Black ’51 and William “Bill” Dubey ’46 led the way on Alumni Day.
Shakespeare and Stephen King Have a Lot in Common
Shakespeare scholar Caroline Bicks studies horror and fear in literature.
Harvard Elects New Overseers, HAA Directors
Leaders for the governing board and alumni association were chosen by an alumni vote.
Explore More From Current Issue
How Women Are Changing the NBA
From coaching staffs to front offices, female leaders are bringing new strategies to men’s basketball.
When the Revolution Hit Cambridge, Harvard Moved to Concord
College students broke hearts and windows during their year in exile.
The Framer Who Refused to Sign the Constitution
Harvard’s Elbridge Gerry helped draft the U.S. Constitution, but worried it might create a new monarch.