CAMBRIDGE: Actress Lucy Liu has been honored at Harvard for her humanitarian work.

The "Kill Bill" and "Charlie's Angels" actress, currently starring in the CBS series "Elementary," was named 2016 artist of the year by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.

She received the award Saturday evening in a presentation at the Cultural Rhythms Festival at Sanders Theater in Cambridge.

Born to immigrant parents in the New York City borough of Queens, Liu is a UNICEF Ambassador and has been a spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign.

Harvard says she's "worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the plight of women and children in some of the world's most impoverished countries."

Previous Harvard Foundation winners have included Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington and Salma Hayek.