GSAS Alumni Awards
GSAS holds in highest regard intellectual inquiry that exerts a profound impact not only in academia, but in the larger world as well. The Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement and the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award celebrate GSAS graduates who have contributed significantly to the academic community and to society while upholding the highest intellectual values in everything they do throughout their careers. They are exemplars who inspire all who aspire to have a lasting impact on the world.
The Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement recognizes accomplished recipients for their profound impact not only on academia, but on the world at large. This award has been presented annually since 1997, and in each year since 1998, it has been presented to one doctoral graduate and one master’s graduate.
The Outstanding Recent Alumni Award honors individuals who have graduated within the past ten years and have excelled in the early stages of their careers, exemplifying what GSAS alumni can achieve. Since 2015, this award has been presented annually to one doctoral graduate and one master’s graduate.
The Campbell Award is presented to a graduating student at each school of Columbia University who shows exceptional leadership and Columbia spirit as exemplified by the late Bill Campbell '62CC, '64TC, Chair Emeritus, University Trustee, and Columbia Alumni Association co-founder. This award has been presented annually since 2016.
Kailani Acosta (’24PhD, Earth and Environmental Sciences)
Campbell Award
Louis Brus (’69PhD, Chemistry)
Dean’s Award for Lifetime Achievement
Timothy L. Macdonald (’75PhD, Chemistry)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Melissa Garcia (’11MA, International and World History)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Anuk Arudpragasam (’19PhD, Philosophy)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Tetiana (Tanya) Kotelnykova (’23MA, Human Rights Studies)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Roni Henig (’18PhD, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies)
Salo and Jeanette Baron Dissertation Prize
Garima Raheja (’22MA, Earth and Environmental Sciences)
Dr. Devon T. Wade Mentorship, Service, and Advocacy Award
Sourav Chatterjee (’20MPhil, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies)
Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student
Manasi Jayakumar (’22MPhil, Psychology)
Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student
Daniel Santiago Sáenz (’21MPhil, Latin American and Iberian Cultures)
Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student
Jason E. Smerdon (Professor of Climate)
Faculty Mentoring
Nancy Worman (Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature)
Faculty Mentoring
2023
Alejandro Cuadrado (’23PhD, Italian and Comparative Literature)
Campbell Award
Colin Kahl (’00PhD, Political Science)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Lauren Faber O’Connor (’05MA, Climate and Society)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Adji Bousso Dieng (’20PhD, Statistics)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Mia Nagawiecki (’16MA, American Studies)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Tyler Campbell, (’23MA, African-American Studies)
Dr. Devon T. Wade Mentorship, Service, and Advocacy Award
Della Maggio, (’23MA, Human Rights Studies)
Dr. Devon T. Wade Mentorship, Service, and Advocacy Award
Ana DiGiovanni (’21MPhil, Psychology)
Presidential Teaching Award
Charles (Chas) Firestone East (’22MPhil, Italian)
Presidential Teaching Award
Connor Martini (’21MPhil, Religion)
Presidential Teaching Award
Achille Varzi (John Dewey Professor of Philosophy)
Faculty Mentoring
Naor Ben-Yehoyada (Assistant Professor of Anthropology)
Faculty Mentoring
John Francis Clauser (’70PhD, Physics)
Lifetime Achievement
2022
Ashley Wells (’22MA, American Studies)
Campbell Award
Carmen M. Reinhart (’88PhD, Economics)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Tongo Eisen-Martin (’05MA, African-American Studies)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Jamil Zaki (’10PhD, Psychology)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Julie Ciccolini (’18MA, Human Rights Studies)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
2021
Elise McKenna Myers (’22PhD, Earth and Environmental Sciences)
Campbell Award
Carmen M. Reinhart (’88PhD, Economics)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Serge Schmemann (’71MA, Slavic Languages)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Sirine Shebaya (’07PhD, Philosophy)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Brian L. Kahn (’09MA, Climate and Society)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
2020
Caroline Alexander (’91PhD, Classics)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Camilo José Vergara (’77MA, Sociology)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Nina Ansary (’13PhD, History)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Andrew Freedman (’09MA, Climate and Society)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Brent Scowcroft (’67PhD, International Relations)
Dean’s Award for Lifetime Achievement
Viviana Rivera-Burgos (’20PhD, Political Science)
Campbell Award
2019
George D. Yancopoulos (’86PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
John A. Glusman (’80MA, English and Comparative Literature)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Matthew Salganik (’07PhD, Sociology)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Amanda Seales (’05MA, African American Studies)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Sarah Arkebauer (’19PhD, English and Comparative Literature)
Campbell Award
2018
Daniel Kurtzer (’76PhD, Political Science)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Madeleine Grynsztejn (’85MA, Art History and Archaeology)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Christine Ann Denny (’12PhD, Biological Sciences)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Elan Kriegel (’10MA, Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Devon Tyrone Wade (’18PhD, Sociology)
Campbell Award
2017
Francisco Ayala (’64PhD, Biological Sciences)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Ursula K. Le Guin (’52MA, French and Romance Philology)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Warren Bass (’02PhD, History)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Andrea Batista Schlesinger (’13MA, International and World History)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Foad Torshizi (’17PhD, Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Culture)
Campbell Award
2016
Evelyn Witkin (’47PhD, Biological Studies)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Christopher J. Dixon (’99MA, Philosophy)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Larissa Buchholz (’13PhD, Sociology)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Jeffrey Chen (’11MA, Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Angelica Patterson (’15MPhil, Earth & Environmental Sciences)
Campbell Award
2015
Robert Grubbs (’68PhD, Chemistry)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Jacques G. Pepin (’72MA, French and Romance Philology)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
Emily Rauscher (’10PhD, Astronomy)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
Shiyang Li (’06MA, East Asian Languages and Culture)
Outstanding Recent Alumni Award
2014
Wallace Broecker (’58PhD, Geological Science)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
2013
Jacqueline Barton (’79PhD, Chemistry)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Robert John Carow (’94PhD, Economics)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Michael L. Lomax (’72MA, English and Comparative Literature)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
2012
Eric Foner (’69PhD, History)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Paul M. Thompson (’77PhD, Sociomedical Science)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Paul B. Auster (’70MA, English and Comparative Literature)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
2011
John T. Matteson (’99PhD, English and Comparative Literature)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Peter Straub (’66MA, English and Comparative Literature)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
2010
Madeleine Albright (’76PhD, Political Science)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Ric Burns (’83MA, English and Comparative Literature)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
Louis A. Parks (’95MA, Ancient Studies)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Service
2009
Frank Macchiarola (’72PhD, Political Science)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
Sybil S. Shainwald (’72MA, Political Science)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
2008
Norman F. Ramsey (’40PhD, Physics)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
Peter Lieberson (’40MA, Music)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
2007
James Emanuel (’80PhD, English and Comparative Literature)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
2006
Leon Lederman (’51PhD, Physics)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
The Hon. Rosa DeLauro (’66MA, Political Science)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
2005
Max Frankel (’53MA, Political Science)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
2004
Paul LeClerc (’69PhD, French and Romance Philology)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
Ronald Stack (’83MA, Political Science)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
2003
Louis Menand (’80PhD, English and Comparative Literature)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
William Goldman (’56MA, English and Comparative Literature)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
2002
William S. Knowles (’42PhD, Chemistry)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
Dale Chakarian Turza (’74MA, Art History and Archaeology)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Achievement
2001
Eduardo Macagno (’68PhD, Physics)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
John Kander (’54MA, Music)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
2000
Judith Rodin (’71PhD, Psychology)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
Anna Kisselgoff (’63MA, History)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
1999
Melvin Schwartz (’58PhD, Physics)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
William T. Golden (’79MA, Biological Sciences)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
1998
Harriet Zuckerman (’65PhD, Sociology)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
1997
R. Gordon Hoxie (’50PhD, History)
Dean's Award for Distinguished Achievement
The Awards Committee of the GSAS Alumni Association Board of Directors is responsible for curating a pool of worthy candidates for the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement and the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award. Additionally, the committee makes nominations to the Dean for these awards.
To nominate a deserving GSAS graduate for one of our annual awards, please write to the GSAS Office of Alumni Relations at [email protected].