Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Thursday, April 25, 2024 76° Today's Paper


Features

Rihanna named Harvard’s Humanitarian of the Year

1/1
Swipe or click to see more

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rihanna arrives at the 59th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 12. Harvard University will present the singer with the Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award on Feb. 28.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. >> Rihanna has been named the 2017 Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year.

The Grammy Award-winning singer will receive the Harvard Foundation’s Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award at a ceremony scheduled for Feb. 28.

Rihanna is being honored for several philanthropic efforts. She built a state-of-the-art center for oncology and nuclear medicine to diagnose and treat breast cancer in her home nation of Barbados. She created the Clara and Lionel Foundation Scholarship Program — named for her grandparents — for students attending college in the U.S. from Caribbean countries.

She also supports the Global Partnership for Education and Global Citizen Project to provide children with access to education in more than 60 developing countries.

Previous winners include actor James Earl Jones, activist Malala Yousafzai and four U.N. secretaries general.

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines. Having trouble with comments? Learn more here.