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The McGuire Family Prize for Societal Impact

The McGuire Family Prize for Societal Impact recognizes and rewards Dartmouth community members who have contributed toward or are responsible for making a significant positive impact on humanity, society, or the environment.

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    Rose Mutiso '08, Thayer '08, was awarded the 2023 McGuire Family Prize for Societal Impact. She delivered a public lecture on sustainable energy in Africa and spoke with attendees after her talk.

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    Jason McLellan was awarded the 2022 inaugural McGuire Prize for his contributions to the development of COVID-19 vaccines. The Prize was presented by then-President Philip J. Hanlon '77, Terry McGuire Th'82 P'08, Carolyn Carr McGuire Tu'83 P'08, and former Board of Trustees chair Laurel Richie '81.

About the McGuire Prize

"Among the true measures of success of an academic institution is its community's positive impact on society."—Terry McGuire

The $100,000 prize—established through the generosity of Terry McGuire Th'82 P'08 and his wife, Carolyn Carr McGuire Tu'83 P'08—is awarded annually to a member of the greater Dartmouth community who has made a significantly positive global impact in one or more of the following areas:

  • fundamental discovery
  • technological innovation
  • organizational creation
  • societal leadership
  • betterment of humanity
  • environmental stewardship

Upon being awarded the McGuire Prize, recipients are invited to visit Dartmouth and engage in classroom discussions, lectures and/or other activities that give students and the broader Dartmouth community an opportunity to learn about the their human-centered impact on individuals, society, and the world at large.

Past Recipients

2023: Rose Mutiso '08, Thayer '08

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Energy technology and policy expert Rose Mutiso '08, Thayer '08, has been named the winner of the 2023 McGuire Family Prize for Societal Impact. Mutiso is the research director for the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Energy for Growth Hub and the co-founder and former CEO of the Nairobi, Kenya-based Mawazo Institute.

"It's humbling. And it's inspired me to do quite a lot of reflection. I'm hopeful the prize can help bring more attention to the issues I work on: amplifying African voices and agency in the shaping of Africa's climate and energy future."—Rose Mutiso '08, Thayer '08

2022: Jason McLellan

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The inaugural McGuire Family Prize for Societal Impact was presented to Jason McLellan, a structural biologist whose groundbreaking coronavirus research conducted at the Geisel School of Medicine laid the foundation for COVID-19 vaccines that have saved countless lives. McLellan, a former assistant professor at the Geisel School, is now the Robert A. Welch Chair in Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin.

"Improving people's lives is exactly what drew me to science and what I hoped to achieve while developing vaccine technology at Dartmouth. Finding solutions to complex, real-life challenges is a race against the clock, and it's only possible through the kind of collaboration and community I developed with my colleagues."—Jason McLellan

Nomination and Selection Process

Eligibility

The McGuire Prize is open to any member of the Dartmouth community, including:

  • current or former students
  • current or former faculty or staff members
  • alumni
  • friends of Dartmouth

Nominees' accomplishments must meet the criteria for significant global societal and/or environmental impact.

Posthumous nominations are accepted.  

Nominating Period

The nominating period for this year's prize is October 29 - December 8, 2024.

Selection Process

The selection process, rules and criteria are at the discretion of the President, or her designee, and the Prize Selection Committee.