Penn State alumnus Jane Rigby was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced Friday.

Rigby is a NASA astrophysicist serving as the senior project scientist for NASA’s Webb Telescope. She studies how galaxies evolve over cosmic time and has published more than 140 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Rigby was named to Nature.com’s 2022 list of 10 individuals who shaped science and to the BBC’s list of 100 inspiring and influential women in the same year. She also received NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 2022.

Rigby graduated from Penn State with bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Astronomy. She also holds a master’s degree and a PhD in Astronomy from Arizona.

A member of Penn State’s Class of 2000, Rigby was honored alongside the likes of Michael Bloomberg, Al Gore, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, and others.

About the Author

Joe Lister

Joe, shockingly, was Onward State's managing editor from 2024-25. It was an honor. He's off employed doing journalism things, hopefully. If you want to complain about anything he's ever written, you can find him on Twitter (iamjoelister), email ([email protected]), or Signal (iamjoelister.93).

The Story Behind Penn State Football Running Back Cam Wallace

Wallace broke both of his ankles against Kent State in 2024.

Previewing The Enemy: Washington Huskies

Penn State is set to make its lone West Coast trip of the season.

Staff Predictions: Penn State vs. Washington

Woof.