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Pope Leo XIV presents Pius XI Medal to Harvard scientist Karin Öberg

Catholic IntelligenceUpdated 1 min read

Pope Leo XIV presented the Pius XI Medal to Karin Öberg, an astrochemist from Harvard University, during an audience with members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The award was presented on Sept. 24 to recognize scientists under the age of 45 who have distinguished themselves through research and show exceptional promise in their fields.

Öberg holds the Thomas Dudley Cabot Chair in the Natural Sciences at Harvard and directs the Öberg Astrochemistry Laboratory at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Her research examines chemical processes related to planet formation and chemical habitability. Previous recipients of the medal include physicist Stephen Hawking and several Nobel laureates.

Beyond her scientific work, Öberg has spoken about her conversion to Catholicism. She previously told the Augustine Institute that her pursuit of knowledge made it difficult to accept a strictly materialist worldview, noting that her reading of C.S. Lewis helped her find the Christian explanation of the world reasonable.

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How the coverage unfolded

  1. Oct 1, 5:28 AM ACI Digital Português Cientista de Harvard cuja busca por conhecimento a levou à fé é premiada pelo papa
  2. Oct 1, 11:54 AM Catholic News Agency Pope Leo XIV honors Harvard scientist whose pursuit of knowledge led her to faith

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