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George Eastman Medal

Recognizing those who make Rochester ever better

Past recipients

Explore the sortable table below for a full list of previous George Eastman Medal winners.


Year Recipient Achievement Occasion
2024 Diane M. Hartmann ’87M (MD), ’91M (Res) A national leader in efforts to improve medical residency and fellowship education at the University’s Medical Center, where she also oversaw a near doubling in the number of programs and trainees during the past 30 years. University Commencement
2024 Lawrence A. Tabak A distinguished scientific leader who has guided our nation’s medical research endeavors in ways that advance knowledge and improve the lives of patients and families. The first dentist to serve as acting director of the National Institutes of Health. Eastman Institute for Oral Health symposium
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