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

He was Harvard’s quintessential people person.

A man in a tuxedo gestures while holding an award on a stage.

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

Black and white photo of Joseph Murray in a white lab coat sitting in an office.

Nobel Prize recipient Joseph E. Murray dedicated much of his career to organ transplant surgery.

Most popular

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

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

A blue refrigerator covered with animal pictures, notes, and drawings, surrounded by greenery.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

White House and Harvard University buildings split diagonally with contrasting colors.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Explore More From Current Issue

Two figures stand before a large, colorful pixelated face against a yellow background.

Research

Harvard scientists identify hundreds of genes under selective pressure.

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.

Racing driver gives a thumbs up from inside a car, wearing a helmet and safety gear.

Alumni Profiles

Harvard graduate and NASCAR racer Patrick Staropoli on pedals, attention, and fearlessness.