In the year of upheaval and immense change, I have found at least one thing to count on: the continued excellence of our 35,000 alumni worldwide. On page 4, you will find our latest Nobel laureate, yet another example of the power of a Harvard PhD.
What is it about GSAS that nurtures this excellence? Students come here to study with world-class faculty, access unrivaled resources, and connect with like-minded individuals in the pursuit of their unique ideas. They also tap into a multidisciplinary community across a range of fields. But more than that, they enter an environment of intellectual curiosity, where they are free to test theories and refine those ideas into a new approach to a scientific problem or a new way to look at events in the past. Their successes after graduation impact their chosen profession and beyond, engendering pride in all of us.
At GSAS, we also honor their achievements, most notably when we present the annual Centennial Medals. This award acknowledges alumni who have made outstanding contributions to society that are rooted in their graduate education. The Centennial Medal is not bounded by disciplines, but rather seeks to celebrate wherever a GSAS education has taken our alumni. I know that now, as we all face changes in our lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our alumni continue to forge new ground in combating the ensuing repercussions. Should you know someone you would like to nominate, I encourage you to follow the instructions on page 5.
The PhD students who do their formative research here will go on to become the next generation of innovators and thought leaders in every discipline, perhaps becoming future Nobel Prize winners. Who knows where the questions our current students are asking now will lead them—and what the impact on the world will be?
—Emma Dench, Dean of Harvard Griffin GSAS
