Harold Shapiro Ph.D. '64, professor of economics and public affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School and president emeritus of Princeton University, has been awarded the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences - the Academy's most prestigious award that honors extraordinary use of science for the public good.

“Harold Shapiro has quietly but profoundly influenced American science, helping the government, the scientific community, and the general public to address some of the most complex and contentious scientific and ethical issues of our time,” said National Academy of Sciences’ President Ralph Cicerone in a prepared statement. “His wise counsel and skillful leadership have been crucial to the success of projects in areas as diverse as stem cells, energy, the structure of the NIH, and high-energy physics.”

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership and provides science, technology, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.

“We honor Dr. Shapiro’s tireless efforts to promote public understanding of science,” said Susan Wessler, home secretary of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the selection committee for the award in the same statement. “Throughout his long and distinguished career, he has taken on a remarkable variety of complex and important problems, often building consensus among disparate personalities by employing a disciplined approach that emphasizes respect for all viewpoints.”

Shapiro served as Princeton University's 18th president from January 1988 to June 2001. Shapiro received his Ph.D. in economics from Princeton in 1964. He came to Princeton from the University of Michigan where he served on the faculty for twenty-four years as professor of economics and public policy and as president from 1980-1988.

His fields of special interest include econometrics, mathematical economics, science policy, the evolution of higher education as a social institution, and bioethics.  

In helping to shape science and public policy, Shapiro stated in a 2000 lecture to the American College of Surgeons that, “In an era that is overflowing with new discoveries, it is important to recall that the more knowledge we have, the more capacity we have, and the more capacity we have, the greater our ethical responsibilities. One of the greatest ethical challenges of this extraordinary age of scientific discovery is to ensure that we deploy our new knowledge so that it will strengthen our communities and yield the greatest benefits to our entire society.”

Shapiro served as chair of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission under President Clinton from 1996-2001 and was a member and vice-chair of President Bush’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology. Holding 15 honorary doctorates in science, law, and public policy, Shapiro is a member of the Institute of Medicine, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the European Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the College of Physicians of Pennsylvania.

“The Woodrow Wilson School community extends its heartiest congratulations to Harold in receiving this highly prestigious award,” said Christina Paxson, dean of the Woodrow Wilson School.  “He has made outstanding contributions in the field of scientific research that has helped to shape public policy here in this country and throughout the world. The awarding of the Public Welfare Medal from the NAS is testament to his contributions over the years.”

The Public Welfare Medal will be presented to Shapiro on April 30, 2012 during the Academy’s annual meeting.