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Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer
Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer Honored with 2023 National Humanities Medal
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oct. 22, 2024 – Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, Distinguished Teaching Professor at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), was awarded the 2023 National Humanities Medal from the White House on Oct. 21.
Kimmerer teaches in ESF’s Department of Environmental Biology, founded the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at ESF, and is a 2022 MacArthur Fellow. She is the author of “Braiding Sweetgrass,” “Gathering Moss,” and the upcoming “The Serviceberry.”
The National Humanities Medal honors an individual or organization whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the human experience, broadened citizens’ engagement with history or literature, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to cultural resources.
"Dr. Kimmerer’s writings have ignited a global movement to rethink our relationship with the natural world,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “Through Robin's storytelling, she bridges Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western science, fostering a deeper understanding of our interconnectedness with nature and each other. Dr. Kimmerer's work inspires a renewed sense of stewardship and belonging, especially in her students at ESF. This National Humanities Medal is a fitting tribute to Robin's remarkable contributions, and we celebrate her wisdom and leadership in the humanities."
The award was presented by President Joseph R. Biden in conjunction with the National Medals of Arts, on Monday, October 21, 2024, in a private ceremony at the White House. The medal recipients include writers, historians, educators, and filmmakers. Presentation of the medals will be followed by a reception at 5:30 p.m. with remarks by President Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D., and National Endowment for the Humanities Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo).
Along with Kimmerer, the 2023 honorees include:
2023 National Humanities Medalists:
- LeVar Burton, actor and literacy advocate
- Roz Chast, cartoonist and author
- Nicolás Kanellos, scholar and publisher of Hispanic literature
- Mellon Foundation, philanthropic organization
- Dawn Porter, filmmaker
- Aaron Sorkin, playwright, screenwriter, and director
- Darren Walker, social justice philanthropist
- Rosita Worl (Tlingit), anthropologist and cultural leader
- Anthony Bourdain (posthumous), chef and author
Kimmerer's book "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants" has been a fixture on The New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Best Sellers list since February 2020. The book is a collection of essays weaving traditional ecological knowledge with scientific knowledge to examine the relationship people have and can have, with the living environment.
Kimmerer holds a Master's and Ph.D. in botany from the University of Wisconsin and a bachelor's in botany from ESF. She is the author of numerous scientific papers on plant ecology, bryophyte ecology, traditional knowledge, and restoration ecology.
The first National Humanities Medal was awarded in 1996. Since then, 225 medals have been bestowed—207 to individuals and 18 to organizations—inclusive of this year’s recipients.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) manages the nominations process for the National Humanities Medal on behalf of the White House. Each year NEH invites nominations from individuals and organizations across the country. The National Council on the Humanities, NEH’s presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed advisory body, reviews the nominations and provides recommendations to the President, who selects the recipients.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.