Stephen Hawking is a scientist.
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences ( Pontificia accademia delle scienze , Pontificia Academia Scientiarum ) is a scientific academy of the Vatican City , established in 1936 by Pope Pius XI , and thriving with the blessing of the Papacy ever since . Its aim is to promote the progress of the mathematical , physical , and natural sciences and the study of related epistemological problems . The academy holds a membership roster of the most respected names in 20th century science , including such Nobel laureates as Ernest Rutherford , Max Planck , Otto Hahn , Niels Bohr , Erwin Schrödinger , and Charles Hard Townes . Stephen Hawking . Hawking is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts , a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences , and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the highest civilian award in the US .