he Wharton School has awarded the Dean's Medal to Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica.
The Dean's Medal is the highest award given by Wharton.
It was created in 1983 to recognize leaders in business, public service and academia who have successfully used their managerial talents to make a positive impact in people's lives.
Arias is a 1987 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and is well-known for his efforts to establish stability and democracy in Central America.
He was first elected in 1986 and drafted a peace treaty signed by five Central American governments in 1987.
Arias then went on to establish the Foundation for Peace and Human Progress, which is made up of three centers that campaign for things such as equal opportunities for Central American women, conflict resolution in the developing world and philanthropy targeting Latin America.
Under Arias' leadership, the Costa Rican economy also flourished, and he is known as a free-trade advocate and has pushed for third-world debt relief.
The medal was conferred on Arias June 7 at the Wharton Global Forum, which was held in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Past recipients of the award include former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, Wang Dao Han, former mayor of Shanghai, and Reginald Jones, former chairman of General Electric.
- Anthony Campisi
