BRYN MAWR, Pa. (February 8, 2013)—Bryn Mawr College is honoring pioneering rock musician and writer Patti Smith with a medal named after the late actress Katharine Hepburn.

Smith accepted the 2013 Katharine Hepburn Medal Thursday night in a ceremony at the women's liberal arts school in suburban Philadelphia.

Smith is recognized as a rock and roll trailblazer whose work as a musician, writer, performer and visual artist influenced multiple generations.

Her 1975 debut album, "Horses," is still considered one of the greatest rock albums ever recorded and she received the 2010 National Book Award for non-fiction for her memoir, "Just Kids."

The medal named after Hepburn, a Bryn Mawr alumna, honors women who change their worlds and whose work and embodies the intelligence and independence of the four-time Oscar winner.