George Urdang Medal

The George Urdang Medal honors Professor George Urdang (1882-1960), a pioneering historian of pharmacy in Germany and the United States, and the founder of the first American graduate program in the history of pharmacy, and the founding Director of the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy.

The AIHP awards the George Urdang Medal to recognize the lifetime achievements of a person who, over a sustained period, has made important scholarly contributions to the field of the history of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals. The George Urdang Medal is awarded without regard to citizenship or nationality.

A competition for the George Urdang Medal is conducted biennially. The Institute will issue a public call for nominations and provide notice of the call to organizations and groups with an active interest in scholarship in the field of the history of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals.

Nominations

Nominations for the George Urdang Medal must include at least one letter of nomination outlining the nominee’s scholarly contributions to the field. Nominations must also include the nominee’s curriculum vitae (or similar biographical information) and one representative publication and other supporting documents. To be considered for the Urdang Medal competition, please email nominations to aihp@aihp.org by January 22, 2027.

Nominations for the award are evaluated on the basis of

• Scholarly Significance: Impact of the nominee’s work on the field.
• Publication Record: Quality, quantity, and influence of published scholarship
• Sustained Contribution: Duration and consistency of scholarly activity.
• Service to the Field: (iv) Leadership in professional organizations, editorial roles, or educational contributions.
• Global Relevance: Contributions that transcend national boundaries or foster international dialogue.

Read more about George Urdang, the history of the award, and the previous George Urdang Medal winners.