Jesse Ausubel was awarded an honorary degree from the University of St. Andrews in recognition of his major contribution to the science and diplomacy of sustainable development. The degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, was conferred to Ausubel on 21 June 2012 during the universitys 600th Anniversary celebration. St. Andrews is Scotlands first university and the third oldest in the English-speaking world. As part of the ceremonies, Ausubel delivered a 600th Anniversary Lecture, Every Fish in the Sea: Findings of the First Census of Marine Life.
For over three decades Mr. Ausubel has pursued the vision of a large, prosperous society that emits little or nothing harmful and spares large amounts of land and sea for nature. His work has spanned energy and materials, forests and farms, marine life, human population, and climate as well as engineering, earth, life, and social sciences, says the Laureation Address.