Lawrence Lessig receives two Harvard appointments

December 18, 2008-February 4, 2009 Harvard University Gazette/ 21College’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter welcomes 48 new membersForty-eight seniors were recently elected to the HarvardCollege chapter of Phi Beta Kappa (PBK), Alpha Iotaof Massachusetts.The Alpha Iota of Massachusetts chapter of Phi BetaKappa was first established under a charter in 1779. Shiftingfrom a social and debating club in its early years to anundergraduate honor society in the 19th century, PBK isknown as the oldest academic honor society in the country.Under the national Phi Beta Kappa mission to fosterand recognize excellence in the liberal arts and sciences,election to Alpha Iota of Massachusetts signifies that anundergraduate has demonstrated excellence, reach, originality,and rigor in his or her course of study. The honorsociety recognizes those whose course work demonstratesnot only high achievement, but also breadth of interest,depth of understanding, and intellectual honesty. Twentyfourjuniors are elected each spring, 48 seniors each fall,and a further number sufficient to bring the total membershipto no more than 10 percent of the graduating classin the final election shortly before Commencement.Adams House: Charles Gordon Nathanson, math;Charles Harker Rhodes, linguistics; Dana AlexandraStern, government; David Cherngchiun Yang, math/economics;and Fan Zhang, math/economics.Cabot House : Alice Nian-en Lee, social studies; andGarrett Gordon Dash Nelson, social studies.Currier House : Christine Ann Eckhardt, neurobiology;and Won Hee Park, economics.Dunster House: Brenton Naska Speed, government;Vivek Viswanathan, history; and Wenxin Xu, chemical andphysical biology.Eliot House: Joanna Raine Binney, biology.Kirkland House: Andrew Ken-Wei Chan, government/(See PBK, next page)Photos Nick Welles/Harvard News OfficeTavis Smiley, philanthropist, author, and host of the late-night television talk show ‘Tavis Smiley’ on PBS, holds back tears ashe speaks at a ceremony honoring him with the W.E.B. Du Bois medal. The other honorees were Tamara Robinson (seated,from left), Richard L. Plepler, and Ingrid Saunders Jones.Du Bois Institute awards four with medals of honorThe W.E.B. Du Bois Medal, Harvard’shighest honor in African American Studies,was presented on Friday (Dec. 12) to IngridSaunders Jones, Richard L. Plepler, TamaraRobinson, and Tavis Smiley, at a ceremonyat the Harvard Kennedy School tohonor their outstanding “contributions toculture, art, and the life of the mind.”Ingrid Saunders Jones is part of thefunctional leadership of the Coca-Cola Co.,senior vice president of Global CommunityConnections, chairperson of the Coca-Cola Foundation, and senior vice presidentof the Coca-Cola Co.Under her direction, Global CommunityConnections has had success in the areasof conservation and sanitation, physical fitnessand nutrition, recycling, and educationaround the world. As chairperson ofthe Coca-Cola Foundation, Jones has contributedmore than $256 million to initiatives includingscholarships for high school students andprograms that increase the academic achievementand success of students in public and secondaryschools.Richard L. Plepler is co-president of Home BoxOffice (HBO), where he is responsible for programmingand corporate communications. In thisposition, and formerly as HBO’s senior vice presidentof corporate communications and executivevice president of corporate communications, he hasbeen involved since 1992 in all creative aspects ofHenry Louis Gates Jr., director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute,awards Smiley his medal.the network and has been a driving force behindsome of its most innovative programming.Plepler’s community involvement is broad andreflects his interest in the arts, health care, education,and public policy. He sits on the board of directorsof the Phoenix House as well as New YorkOutward Bound, and is on the Advisory Committeeof FilmAid International. As a member of theCouncil on Foreign Relations, Plepler serves on thechairman’s Advisory Council, and on the CorporateAdvisory Board of the Global Business Coalition onHIV/AIDS. At Harvard, he serves on the NationalAdvisory Board of the Du Bois Instituteand is a member of the Dean’s Council ofthe Harvard Kennedy School.Tamara Robinson is vice presidentand director of programming at Thirteen/WNETin New York, where she is responsiblefor the development and oversightof all national and local programming,including special presentations,mini-series, and ongoing programs suchas “Nature,” “Great Performances,” and“American Masters.”Acknowledged as a leader in publictelevision, Robinson has received numerousawards, including a PrimetimeEmmy for “Smithsonian World” and severalEmmy and Golden Cine Eagle nominations.Tavis Smiley is host of the late-nighttelevision talk show “Tavis Smiley” onPBS and “The Tavis Smiley Show,” distributed byPublic Radio International (PRI). Outside of his rolein the media, Smiley is also an author and a philanthropist.As a member of the press, his interviews withnewsmakers from the fields of politics, entertainment,activism, the arts, and ordinary life haveearned him a reputation as a wide-ranging, meticulous,and tough journalist. His advocacy for communityinvestment, financial empowerment, andcultural education have made him a catalyst for culturalchange.