Honoring Excellence: Awards Event - Virtual

An event at the American Academy of Arts & Sciences with the American Philosophical Society and Phi Beta Kappa

In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary, three of the nation’s oldest honorary societies are partnering for a celebration of excellence and conversation about our shared mission to cultivate knowledge and strengthen the foundations of an informed, democratic society.    

The Academy’s Talcott Parsons Prize for contributions to the social sciences was presented to Claudia Goldin (Harvard University). She is recognized for distinguished scholarship in uncovering the historical and structural roots of gender inequality in the labor market, illuminating how education, family choices, and social norms have shaped women’s economic roles, and transforming our understanding of work, pay equity, and opportunity over time. The prize announcement is online.  

APS featured Jan Ziolkowski, recipient of the Henry Allen Moe Prize. Ziolkowski was recognized for his paper, “The Juggler of Notre Dame and the Medievalizing of Modernity.”  More information

PBK featured Greg Grandin, recipient of the Emerson Book Prize.

Following the presentations, recipients joined a panel discussion moderated by Academy President Laurie Patton around the question: What does cultivating useful knowledge look like in America today?