Rihanna Named 'Humanitarian Of The Year' By Harvard University

click to expand

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – Singer Rihanna will be in the Boston area next week to accept a prestigious award from Harvard University.

The school has named her the 2017 Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year.

Rihanna has built a new oncology center in her native Barbados to treat breast cancer, and has created scholarships for students from Caribbean countries going to colleges in the United States, Harvard notes. She also supports a global education charity that focuses on supporting girls who may not have access to education.

Singer Rihanna attends The 59th GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on February 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Past winners of the award include gender rights advocate Malala Yousafzai, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and actress Sharon Stone.

The presentation will take place at 4 p.m. in the Sanders Theatre on Feb. 28, and tickets are only available to those with a Harvard ID.