He has been active in public policy issues, serving various advisory roles since the 1970s, most recently as a member of President Clinton's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology since 1994.

As chairman of the Committee on International Security and Arms Control of the National Academy of Sciences, Holdren has been an active in efforts to prevent the misuse of nuclear weapons, which have become more readily available since Russia's disarmament after the Cold War.

"Not only has Professor Holdren been very involved in policy in Washington, he is also very involved in undergraduate issues here at Harvard," Professor Michael B. McElroy, Holdren's colleague in the EPS department, said. "He is active in the Earth and Planetary Sciences concentration as a member of the Board of Tutors and teaches a 2 year seminar each year," McElroy.

Daniel P. Schrag, who teaches a spring junior seminar on population and environment with Holdren said "John has lived in the spirit of investing in people for a long time by educating people in a wide range of scientific issues important to society and applying scientists' understanding of natural world to resolve social problems."

In fact, Schrag said that when he left Princeton four years ago to come teach in Cambridge, "Professor Holdren was one of the great attractions for me to come to Harvard."

"Everyone in the department is delighted to see him receive this honor. It is greatly deserved," said EPS department chair Jeremy Bloxham.