Lamont wins Erasmus Prize
Harvard Professor Michèle Lamont has been named winner of the 2017 Erasmus Prize, which recognizes individual or group contributions to European culture, society, or social science. In awarding the prize, which comes with a grant of €150,000, or $159,000, the Erasmus Foundation cited Lamont’s “devoted contribution to social science research into the relationship between knowledge, power and diversity.” “I’m deeply moved to have been chosen for this award. I have tremendous admiration for the past recipients who have defined the social sciences of the 20th century,” said Lamont, a professor of sociology and of African and African American Studies, the Robert I. Goldman Professor of European Studies, and director of the Weatherhead Center since fall 2015. “Erasmus believed that knowledge would help improve understanding among people,” she said. “Particularly in our challenging times, I hope that in its own way, my research could perhaps help us in a similar direction.” Lamont has played a significant role connecting...