Wilbur Cross Medal for Alumni Achievement
The Wilbur Cross Medal, named in honor of former Graduate School Dean and Governor of Connecticut Wilbur Lucius Cross, was established in 1966 to honor PhD alumni of Yale Graduate School for outstanding achievements like those of Dean Cross during his multifaceted career. It is the highest honor that the Graduate School bestows on its alumni. Recipients of the medal return to campus to receive the award and spend time with their departments.
Medalists are nominated by their peers in recognition of their achievements as leaders in their respective fields, true innovators, and world-changing thinkers. They are among the best examples of what can be accomplished with a doctoral degree after leaving Yale.
Learn more:
Wilbur Lucius Cross Honorees
Announcing the 2026 Wilbur Cross Medalists
We are pleased to announce the 2026 Wilbur Cross Medalists who will be honored on Monday, October 19, 2026:
Carol Carter ’72 PhD, Microbiology
James Dieterich ’68 PhD, Geology & Geophysics
Amy Richlin ’78 PhD, Classics
James Robinson ’93 PhD, Economics
Each honoree will give a public lecture during the campus visit. Details of the lectures will be available in September.
Honoring the 2025 Wilbur Cross Medalists
On October 20, 2025, four alumni of the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences were awarded Wilbur Lucius Cross Medals. The day included lectures and celebrations on campus.
Philip J. Deloria '94 PhD, American Studies
Samuel J. Keyser '62 PhD, Linguistics
Andrew J. Lankford ’72, ’78 PhD, Physics
Jeffrey E. Settleman ‘89 PhD, Genetics
