George Eastman Medal
Recognizing those who make Rochester ever better
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The George Eastman Medal recognizes individuals whose achievements and service embody the University of Rochester’s highest ideals. The medal is named for George Eastman, the University’s major benefactor and one of the nation’s great champions of higher education.
Submitting a nomination
Anyone in the University community can put forward a nomination for the George Eastman Medal. The provost and University president annually select one or more recipients of the award.
If you have questions about this process, or are considering submitting a nomination, please contact our office.
The George Eastman Medal is typically awarded during University ceremonies, such as commencement, or another special event.
Past recipients
Explore the sortable table below for a full list of previous George Eastman Medal winners.
| Year | Recipient | Achievement | Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Brenda D. Lee | Pioneer in understanding the impact of racial inequities and developing solutions to combat them, especially for people who have been historically excluded from educational opportunities such as medical school. | University Commencement |
| 2021 | Geena Davis | Academy and Golden Globe Award winner and advocate for gender equality | University-wide Commencement for the Class of 2020, October 2021 |
| 2021 | John “Dutch” Summers | CEO of Jasco Tools and chairman Graywood Companies; Dedicated service to strengthening regional economy and community | TBD |
| 2020 | Nancy Robbins | Instrumental in founding Rochester’s Ronald McDonald House and critical supporter to UR Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital | TBD |
| 2019 | Barbara Iglewski | Chair Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology, Member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame | SMD Commencement |
| 2019 | Donna Strickland | 2019 Nobel Prize Recipient in Physics | College Commencement |
| 2018 | Seymour I. Schwartz ’57M (Res) | Distinguished Alumni Professor of Surgery at the School of Medicine and Dentistry; one of the nation’s foremost medical educators | SMD Commencement |
| 2018 | Margaret Georgiadis | Internationally recognized executive and leader in technology and innovation; CEO of Ancestry, the global leader in family history and consumer genomics | College Commencement Speaker |
| 2017 | The Ganatra Family | Global philanthropists | AS&E Commencement |
| 2016 | Edmund A. Hajim | Chair of the University of Rochester Board of Trustees for the last eight years and outstanding career in finance | AS&E Commencement |
| 2016 | G. Robert Witmer, Jr. | Board Chair Emeritus; career achievements and his service to the University and the Rochester-area communities | Special Board of Trustees dinner in New York City |
| 2016 | Joseph Morelle | New York State Assembly Majority Leader | AS&E Commencement |
| 2015 | E. Philip Saunders | Entrepreneur; instrumental in reshaping the travel center industry | SMD Commencement |
| 2015 | James E. Darnell, Jr. | Vincent Astor Professor Emeritus at the Rockefeller University; made discoveries about gene activation that have influenced modern approaches to cancer treatment | SMD Cancer Center colloquium |
| 2014 | Theophano Mitsa | Alumna; pioneer in imaging science; data scientist | University event to recognize the impact of the blue noise mask |
| 2014 | Kevin Parker | Emeritus, Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; pioneering work as an engineer and biomedical scientist | University event to recognize the impact of the blue noise mask |
| 2014 | Evelyn V. (Lynne) Lovejoy | Civic leader and philanthropist | Memorial Art Gallery; on the occasion of her 100th birthday celebration |
| 2013 | Steven Chu | 1997 Nobel laureate in Physics, former U.S. secretary of energy, and former director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | AS&E Commencement |
| 2013 | Harold and Joan Feinbloom | Civic leaders and philanthropists | AS&E Commencement |
| 2013 | Wendell Castle | Internationally recognized sculptor and furniture maker | Dedication of the Centennial Sculpture Park at the Memorial Art Gallery |
| 2013 | Albert Paley | Internationally recognized sculptor | Dedication of the Centennial Sculpture Park at the Memorial Art Gallery |
| 2012 | Arthur Moss | Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine and Dentistry | SMD Commencement |
| 2011 | John H. Bruning | UR Trustee; Retired President and CEO of Corning Tropel Corporation | AS&E Commencement |
| 2011 | Ursula Burns | UR Life Trustee; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xerox Corporation | AS&E Commencement |
| 2011 | Eric Kandel | Director, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University; Director, Center for Neurobiology & Behavior, New York University Medical School; 2000 Nobel Prize recipient in Physiology or Medicine | Distinguished Neuroscience Speaker Series Lecture, School of Medicine and Dentistry |
| 2010 | William Scott Green | Sr. Vice Provost, Dean of Undergraduate Education, and Professor of Religious Studies, University of Miami | College Commencement |
| 2010 | Daniel Wegman | UR Trustee; Chief Executive Officer, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. | College Commencement |
| 2009 | Stanley Prusiner | 1997 Nobel Laureate in Medicine; Director, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Professor of Neurology and Biochemistry, UCSF | Distinguished Neuroscience Speaker Series Lecture, School of Medicine and Dentistry |
| 2009 | Louise Slaughter | Congresswoman (DNY-28) ; Chair, House Rules Committee | College Commencement |
| 2009 | Carola B. Eisenberg | Co-founder, Physicians for Human Rights; 1997 Nobel Peace Prize recipient for campaign to ban land mines | SMD Commencement |
| 2009 | William Bonnez | Development of vaccine to prevent cervical cancer | SMD Commencement |
| 2009 | Richard Reichmann | Development of vaccine to prevent cervical cancer | SMD Commencement |
| 2009 | Robert Rose | Development of vaccine to prevent cervical cancer | SMD Commencement |
| 2008 | Arvid Carlsson | Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology, Göteborg University in Sweden; 2000 Nobel Prize recipient in Physiology or Medicine | Distinguished Neuroscience Speaker Series Lecture, School of Medicine and Dentistry |
| 2006 | Robert H. Hurlbut | President, Hurlbut Trust, and UR Trustee | Dr. Bradford Berk’s Investiture |
| 2005 | Carl Schramm | President and CEO, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation | College Commencement |
| 2004 | Joseph C. Wilson ’31 | Founder, Xerox Corporation | Meliora Weekend |
| 2003 | Garth Fagan | Founder and Artistic Director, Garth Fagan Dance, Inc. | Meliora Weekend |
| 2003 | Ralph Snyderman, M.D. | President and CEO, Duke University Health Systems | SMD Commencement |
| 2002 | Ted Turner | Founder, Cable News Network (CNN) | Meliora Weekend |
| 2001 | Glenda T. Lappan | Professor, Mathematics – Michigan State University | Dean Raffaella Borasi’s Investiture |
| 2000 | Mark L. Schneider | Director, Peace Corps | River Campus Commencement |