Both Sofen and DeBlosi said they do not anticipate a shortage of qualified contenders for the award in future years.
At the ceremony, board members presented Pellegrini with a statuette of the television character Xena.
"We didn't want to give her a certificate or something lame," DeBlosi said.
BGLTSA members present at the ceremony said Pellegrini appeared very pleased with the honor.
"She said that she was speechless for her first time at Harvard," Sofen said.
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Pellegrini, who is acting director of studies for the committee on degrees in women's studies, could not be reached for comment yesterday evening.