BRYN MAWR, Pa. (September 27, 2012)—Bryn Mawr College will honor rock veteran Patti Smith for her artistic accomplishments and pioneering spirit.

The women's liberal arts school near Philadelphia will award Smith the 2013 Katharine Hepburn Medal.

The college called Smith "a trailblazer in the male-dominated world of rock 'n' roll."

She also wrote a critically acclaimed memoir in 2010.

Bryn Mawr will award the Hepburn Medal to Smith at a campus event on Feb. 7 and a performance for students is being planned.

The medal is given to women who embody "the intelligence, drive and independence" of the Oscar-winning college alumna for whom it is named.

Hepburn graduated from Bryn Mawr in 1928.

Previous winners include actresses Lauren Bacall and Blythe Danner.