November 18, 2025
Sigma Xi's 2025 Gold Key Award recipients were recently recognized in award ceremonies at their local Society chapters. Simon A. Levin and Jennifer A. Lewis were celebrated at in-person ceremonies at Princeton University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively.
On October 9, 2025, the Princeton chapter of Sigma Xi held an award ceremony to honor Levin, the university's James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Approximately 50 chapter members, colleagues, and invited guests attended the event, which was presided over by Society president Dan Rubenstein, and celebrated Levin's career accomplishments and contributions to the scientific research community and society as a whole. Levin was awarded the Gold Key, Sigma Xi's highest honor, for transforming the fields of ecology and population biology through precise, testable, theoretical predictions that help solve real world problems.
Levin is especially noted for his contributions to the development of the foundations of spatial ecology and his work on pattern and scale. More recently, his research has focused on the interface between ecology and economics, especially problems of public goods, common pool resources, and the global commons. His book, Fragile Dominion, along with his subsequent research, weaves these themes together, invoking ecological and evolutionary theory to inform principles for management practice.
On November 3, 2025, Lewis was celebrated at the Society's MIT chapter, where she was originally initiated as a Sigma Xi member. Invited guests from MIT and Harvard attended the event, presided over by Sigma Xi executive director and CEO, Jamie Vernon. She was awarded the 2025 Gold Key for her extraordinary contributions to materials science, bioengineering, and additive manufacturing, which have not only advanced scientific knowledge but also transformed industrial practices, influenced policy, and broadened access to scientific research and education across communities.
Lewis is currently the Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and a Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. She has made pioneering contributions to the programmable assembly of soft functional, structural, and biological materials. Lewis, along with her research team, has recently developed a multi-material 3D bioprinting method that enables the creation of thick vascularized tissues and 3D organs-on-chip. Her work on microscale 3D printing was highlighted as one of the “10 Breakthrough Technologies” by the MIT Technology Review.
The symbolism of the Gold Key Award pays homage to the early days of Sigma Xi (late 1800s to early 1900s), when induction into the Society was often accompanied by the presentation of a small gold key. The key was routinely attached as a charm to a bracelet or chain that held a pocket watch, which was the style of the day, and represented pride in the science or engineering accomplishments of the holder. Previous recipients of the award include Cato Laurencin, Shirley M. Tilghman, Bruce Alberts, Shirley M. Malcom, Walter E. Massey, Gordon E. Moore, and Norman R. Augustine.