Penn State Institute for the Arts and Humanities

Programs & Initiatives

Medal for Distinguished Contributions to the Arts and Humanities

Established in 2006, the Medal honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts and humanities and whose work has furthered public awareness of the importance of scholarship, literature, and the arts. During their time on campus, honorees engage in a series of activities – a public lecture, a seminar with graduate students and faculty, a taped public-broadcasting interview. The inaugural recipient of this award was internationally acclaimed novelist and public intellectual Salman Rushdie. The Medal, designed by award-winning medalist, local artist, and Penn State alumna Jeanne Stevens-Sollman, is awarded annually. The program is made possible by generous funding from a National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant, awarded to the Institute in 2002.