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.
"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:
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.
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. This year's McGuire Prize presentation will take place on campus in the fall.
"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
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
Eligibility
The McGuire Prize is open to any member of the Dartmouth community, including:
Nominees' accomplishments must meet the criteria for significant global societal and/or environmental impact.
Posthumous nominations are accepted.
Nominating Period
The 2023 nomination period has closed.
The nominating period for the 2024 McGuire Prize, once open, will be publicized here and through a variety of Dartmouth news channels.
Selection Process
The selection process, rules and criteria are at the discretion of the President, or his designee, and the Prize Selection Committee.
2023 Prize Selection Committee
Questions about The McGuire Prize can be directed to McGuire.Prize.Committee@dartmouth.edu