The line between academics and athletics was blurred when Deborah B. Prothrow-Stith, associate dean for faculty development at the School of Public Health, was honored at a recent home game of her favorite basketball team.

The Boston Celtics honored Prothrow-Stith during its Jan. 30 game against the Charlotte Hornets as part of their "Heroes Among Us" program, an initiative to honor one community leader who has contributed to the greater New England region at each home game this year.

"I was so excited," said Prothrow-Stith, who admitted her great love for basketball as well as for the Celtics. "When they sent me the invitation, I just sent it back with a big `Yes!'"

With her family looking on, Prothrow-Stith was presented with a team-autographed basketball and a plaque before having the honor of throwing the game-ball to the referee before tip-off. She also received complimentary tickets to the game and a "backstage tour" of the FleetCenter.

Prothrow-Stith was honored for both her research and practice in violence prevention and other public health issues.

"For a long time people thought the way to stop crime was by more jail and tougher sentences....Even now people don't think crime is preventable," she said. "This [award] raises public appreciation for the kind of work that can be done."

"From the President [of the United States] to the Celtics, there is finally recognition that something can be done about prevention of violence," Prothrow-Stith said, citing her 1995 appointment by President Clinton to the National Commission on Crime Control and Prevention.

"It is important for children to see that the Celtics team [also] thinks so. These players are the heroes of so many kids," she said.

Prothrow-Stith has written and co-written more than 80 publications on the subject of public health and violence prevention, according to the Regan Communications Group, the Celtics' public relations firm.

Most notably, she is the co-author of Health Skills for Wellness, a school textbook, the first ever to devote a full chapter to violence prevention.

In 1987, Prothrow-Stith was appointed as the first woman and youngest-ever Commissioner of Public Health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

She was involved with health issues ranging from environmental health, tuberculosis and immunizations to resource allocations for construction of new hospitals.

Another Harvard professor, Robert C. Merton, Baker professor of administration, received the same award at a game last December against the Chicago Bulls.

A 1997 Nobel laureate in economics, Merton was honored for "changing the foundation of economic theory and pricing," according to the award announcement made before the game.

"It was lovely," Merton said in an interview yesterday. "A wide variety of backgrounds is recognized," he said, "including a high school teacher who had won the Teacher of the Year award. It was very nice."

The "Heroes Among Us" program was initiated by new Celtics coach Rick Pitino, the team's 13th coach, as part of his objective for the team to play a greater role in affecting the New England community, Merton said.