Carl Sagan Award for Public Appreciation of Science

CSSP provides an award, the Sagan Award, for increasing the public appreciation of science. Its purpose is to honor those who have become concurrently accomplished as researchers and/or educators, and as widely recognized magnifiers of the public’s understanding of science.

Past recipients include:

  • 2019: William S. Hammack, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  • 2018: Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology, Harvard University
  • 2017: Charles Bolden, Former Administrator – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • 2013: Bassam Shakhashiri, American Chemical Society
  • 2010: Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Society
  • 2009: Thomas L. Friedman, Author, New York Times
  • 2007: Ken Weiss & Usha McFarling, Los Angeles Times
  • 2006: Court TV
  • 2005: Cheryl Heuton & Nick Falacci, NUMB3RS
  • 2004: Popular Science
  • 2002: Philip G. Zimbardo, Discovering Psychology, PBS
  • 2001: Science Times, The New York Times
    John Noble Wilford, Journalist, The New York Times
  • 2000: John Rennie, Editor, Scientific American
  • 1999: Richard Harris, Science Editor, NPR
    Ira Flatow, Producer & Host, Science Friday, NPR
  • 1998: Alan Alda, John Angier, Graham Chedd, Frontiers
  • 1997: Bill Nye, The Science Guy, TV Program
  • 1996: NOVA (PBS) and Paula Apsell, Executive Producer
  • 1995: National Geographic Society and Magazine: Gilbert Grosvenor & William Allen
  • 1994: Edward Wilson, Curator, MCZ, Harvard University
  • 1993: Carl Sagan, Director, Laboratory for Planetary Studies, Cornell University