Lives of Purpose

The 2026 Smith College Medalists were recently announced and represent a range of fields from the arts to medicine. They are:

• Wendy Brown Dean ’87, co-founder/CEO of The Moral Injury of Healthcare
• Lori L. Tharps ’94, journalist, author, and podcast host
• Theanne Griffith ’08, neuroscientist and children’s author
• Elim Chan ’09, conductor

Mattie Peterson Compton ’72, incoming chair of the college’s Medal Committee, shared her excitement about the 2026 slate of medalists. “This year’s class is quite diverse and impressive,” Compton said. “In selecting these four medalists, the committee affirmed Smith’s pride in how the contributions of these alums in their respective fields have shaped the world we live in. Their work demonstrates the college's mission: ‘Smith College educates women of promise for lives of distinction and purpose.’ We look forward to lifting up their accomplishments on Rally Day 2026.”

This year’s honorees will receive their medals on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 1:30 p.m. in John M. Greene Hall. Classes are canceled for the Rally Day celebration, which marks the first time seniors wear their graduation gowns in public paired with unique, imaginative hats.

The Smith Medal was established in 1962 to recognize alums who exemplify “the true purpose” of a liberal arts education, through excellence in their chosen fields. More than 200 outstanding alums have received the award since then in recognition of their professional achievements and outstanding service.

Meet the Medalists

Wendy Brown Dean ’87

Health care advocate

Physician Wendy Brown Dean ’87 is co-founder and CEO of The Moral Injury of Healthcare, a nonprofit focused on alleviating distress among healthcare and medical professionals through research, education, advocacy, and consultation. She maintains that the term “moral injury” is a much more accurate way to describe what has been traditionally called “physician burnout,” because “moral injury” signifies that the system is broken—not the individual. Dean is widely published in both academic journals and mass media and is the author of If I Betray These Words: Moral Injury in Medicine and Why It’s So Hard for Clinicians to Put Patients First. Dean cohosts two podcasts: Moral Matters: Injury of Healthcare and 43cc: The Truth About Healthcare, both of which delve into the state of American health care for practitioners and patients. Before her work with Moral Injury, Dean practiced psychiatry, was involved with research innovation for the Department of Defense, and supported military medical research at an international nonprofit.

Before They Were Medalists

First, Do No Harm, Smith Quarterly, Winter 2022 
Psychiatrist Wendy Dean ’87 says the American health care system is in crisis, inflicting ‘moral injury’ on physicians and other medical professionals. Can anything be done to mend what’s broken?

Lori L. Tharps ’94

Journalist and educator

Lori L. Tharps ’94 is an author, journalist, educator, podcast host, and popular speaker who describes her work as meeting “at the intersection of race and real life.” Tharps spent two years working on Madison Avenue at one of New York City’s top public relations agencies, before earning a master’s from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She started her journalism career as a staff reporter at Vibe magazine, then worked as a correspondent for Entertainment Weekly. She has done writing and editing for top publications, including Ms., Glamour, Essence, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Tharps is the award-winning author of three critically-acclaimed nonfiction books: Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America, Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain, and Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families. In 2021, Tharps, who has three children, moved with her family to the south of Spain to pursue a full-time career as a creative writer. The following year, she launched the Reed, Write, and Create podcast and platform, which provides inspiration and resources for BIPOC writers.

Before They Were Medalists

Now, Not Never!, Smith Quarterly, Fall 2021
For years, Lori L. Tharps ’94 held on to her dream of moving to Spain to write. A transformative Smith Reunion prompted her to finally follow her bliss. Her story and others like it might inspire you to do the same.

Theanne Griffith ’08

Neuroscientist and children’s author

Theanne Griffith ’08 is an assistant professor in the department of physiology and membrane biology at the University of California, Davis. The Griffith Lab investigates the sense of proprioception, the internal awareness of the body’s position in space, using a combination of molecular biology, physiology, and neuroscience techniques. The impact of her research has been nationally recognized with a Sloan Research Fellowship, a McKnight Scholar Award, and a recent appointment as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. In addition to her research, Griffith is the author of an award-winning STEM-themed series for children titled The Magnificent Makers, and the co-author of the nonfiction series Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files, which accompanies the Netflix series of the same name.

Before They Were Medalists

Neuroscientist Pens (Really Fun!) STEM-Adventure Books for Children
When neuroscientist Theanne Griffith ’08 was on maternity leave with her first child in 2017, she decided to take on a project most new moms might find daunting—writing the first in what would become a series of chapter books aimed at children interested in science.

Elim Chan ’09

Conductor

Elim Chan ’09 is one of the most sought-after classical music conductors of her generation, known for her expressive energy and concise movements. She earned a master’s and a doctorate in music from the University of Michigan, and, in 2014, she became the first woman to win the prestigious Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, and went on to spend the 2015–16 season as assistant conductor at the London Symphony Orchestra, where she worked closely with Valery Gergiev. This experience launched Chan’s international career, and she has since worked with the world’s best orchestras, including serving as the first female principal conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra in Belgium, between 2019 and 2024, and principal guest conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, between 2018 and 2023. Scheduled performances in the 2025/26 season include return engagements with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre de Paris.

Before They Were Medalists

Shaping Sound and Time, Smith Quarterly, Spring 2024
As a student at Smith, Elim Chan ’09 showed raw talent in conducting. Today, she performs with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras.