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STARMUS Launches the Stephen Hawking Medal Junior at The Kennedy Center
The Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication, established in 2015, honoured individuals who excelled in bridging the gap between science and the public through various disciplines such as music, arts, and cinema. The Junior Category aimed to recognize and encourage young innovators who demonstrated exceptional talent and dedication to science communication. Like the Stephen Hawking Medal, the Junior Medal will recognize such dedication through the categories of music, cinema, or literature.
In its inaugural year, the STARMUS Advisory Board selected a profile that perfectly embodies the type of inspiring young individual deserving of this prestigious recognition. Commencing in 2026, the full nominations process will be open to educational centres worldwide, including universities and secondary schools. These institutions will be invited to nominate their most outstanding students, aged 14 to 20, as candidates.
Winners will be awarded the Stephen Hawking Medal and will have the unique opportunity to enrol in a 4 to 6-week internship at a selected science or arts institution, sponsored by STARMUS and the Stephen Hawking Medal partners. During this internship, they will work on their own scientific communications project, which will be published by STARMUS and the Stephen Hawking Medal collaborators and endorsed by a past winner of the Medal.
STARMUS will announce soon the world-class institutions and centres that will collaborate with the Junior Medal Category.
Gitanjali Rao , an American inventor, author, and STEM advocate, was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Stephen Hawking Medal Junior. Rao, known for her groundbreaking inventions and contributions to science at a young age, embodied the spirit of innovation and curiosity that Professor Hawking championed. She was named TIME's first "Kid of the Year" in 2020 for her work in science and technology. Gitanjali is also the inventor of "Epione"—a device for early diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction using genetic engineering, and "Kindly"—an anti-cyberbullying service using AI and Natural Language processing, which is now a UNICEF "Digital Public Good" service available worldwide.
" said Rao ."
, STARMUS co-founder and Director, celebrated this huge step for the Stephen Hawking Medal in approaching younger generations with the Junior Category. " ."
" " added Professor Israelian. " .'"
Queen lead guitarist and STARMUS cofounder, celebrated the launch of the Stephen Hawking Medal Junior with these words: " ."
This announcement was made at the STARMUS x Earth To Space event, a two-day program held as part of at the prestigious . The event, being held on April 1-2, 2025 , featured an impressive lineup of Nobel Prize-winning scientists, astronauts, and explorers, including former NASA astronauts and ., Nobel Laureate and artist world-renowned best-selling author , President of the US National Academy of Sciences , renowned astrophysicist , quantum mind reader and SETI pioneer Jill Tarter .
Attendees also enjoyed the spectacular by renowned musicians from the , such as , , , and . This concert was a highlight of the event, showcasing the fusion of science and music that STARMUS is known for. The celebration of the beauty and mystery of the universe promised to be an unforgettable experience for all attendees.
STARMUS has announced its next edition, ,' featuring a short preview of the STARMUS La Palma documentary. This event will be held on the island of , with a focus on protecting the night skies in collaboration with the Starlight Foundation. The program will include with over 40 renowned speakers, such as , , , and other . The will showcase the with special guest , Oscar and 15 Latin Grammy winner , and the Spanish pop-rock band , among others. Additionally, there will be and the educational project ,' aimed at engaging thousands of young students with science, music, and space."
The event also included the which showcases the most exciting moments of the 2022 STARMUS Festival in
Armenia . This film perfectly captures the essence of STARMUS and the unique STARMUS experience, merging the gathering of the most brilliant minds and talented artists of our time with the local culture.
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Created by Garik Israelian PhD, astrophysicist at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) and Sir Brian May PhD, astrophysicist and the lead guitarist of the iconic rock band Queen, Starmus is a festival of science, art and music that features presentations from astronauts, cosmonauts, Nobel Prize winners and prominent figures from various scientific disciplines and musical backgrounds. Starmus brings together Nobel laureates, eminent researchers, astronauts, thinkers and artists to share their knowledge and experiences, as we search for answers to the great questions of our time.
The members are: Jane Goodall , Brian May (co-founder), Garik Israelian (Director and co-founder), Peter Gabriel , Emmanuelle Charpentier , Richard Dawkins, Chris Hadfield, Jill Tarter , Steven Chu , and David Eicher.
Stephen Hawking and Alexei Leonov , together with Brian May and Garik Israelian , worked to create the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication in 2015, which is awarded to individuals and teams who have made significant contributions to science communication. Previous Stephen Hawking Medal winners include Dr. Jane Goodall DBE , David Attenborough , Christopher Nolan , Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jean-Michel Jarre , Brian May , Laurie Anderson , and the Apollo 11 documentary.
Brezo Rodríguez — brezo@starmus.com / press@starmus.com / +34 678 255 196
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdbUOyYW3Oc
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWDC3G139Y4
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