Newsmakers

Gomes receives five honorary degrees this spring

The Rev. Professor Peter J. Gomes was awarded five honorary degrees this spring, including that of doctor of music from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, N.J., and doctor of divinity by Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa. The Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church, Gomes also delivered the addresses at both of these schools’ commencements.

In addition, Gomes received the degree of doctor of humane letters from Lesley University in Cambridge, and from Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y., and the degree of doctor of divinity by Williams College in Williamstown. At Wagner College and Williams College, he preached the baccalaureate sermon. Gomes is the recipient of 26 honorary degrees.

Gieseke wins Fisher Prize

The committee of the Howard T. Fisher Prize in Geographical Information Science (GIS) recently named Eric Gieseke as this year’s prize recipient in the graduate category. Gieseke will be awarded $1,000 for his entry, “GeoSurf,” which describes a project undertaken for CSCI E40: “GIS and Web Mapping” at the Harvard Extension School for “making NOAA buoy data more easily understood and accessible to more people.”

Established in 1999 by the Harvard University GIS User’s Group, the prize aims to promote and reward student work – both undergraduate and graduate – in this broad and potentially interdisciplinary area.

The initial endowment for the fund was provided by a generous contribution from Jack Dangermond ’69 of ESRI Inc.

– Compiled by Andrew Brooks