At each commencement, the University recognizes accomplished individuals from varying fields, whether it’s law, biology, performing arts, public service, or business, by awarding and presenting the scholars with honorary degrees. Even though it remains an important tradition for each graduation ceremony, and one of the most prestigious recognition within higher education, the process behind finding degree recipients, and what an honorary degree actually entails, can be a little unclear to students.
Since beginning in the 1800s, over 1,000 people have been awarded an honorary degree at UMich. This means that instead of receiving a degree through credits and academic achievements, recipients are granted degrees based off of their post-graduate accomplishments. Among them, Henry Ford, Albert Kahn, Margaret Bourke-White, Arthur Miller, Robert Frost, Dick Costolo, Michele Norris, Spike Lee, Barack Obama, and Ruth Ginsberg.
To make the search for recipients a little easier, former President Harold T. Shapiro created an Honorary Degree Committee in 1986, whose job is to recommend and review nominees for each ceremony. When selecting candidates, the committee looks for individuals whose accomplishments stand out within their fields, and also tie into the University’s core values.
Four individuals were recommended to receive honorary degrees at the spring commencement ceremony on April 28th. Per tradition, the speaker is usually awarded an honorary degree, alongside other qualified candidates.
Charles Woodson
This year’s speaker was a University of Michigan Football player and Heisman Trophy winner. Woodson is one of America’s most celebrated gridiron stars. Woodson’s football career from high school, to college and to the NFL has been beyond impressive. He played 18 seasons in the NFL, but has since transitioned into the role of philanthropist. In the community, he established the Charles Woodson Foundation, which offers scholarships to students raised in single-parent homes. His foundation also has donated millions of dollars to the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital for pediatric research. Since 2008, his foundation has provided multiple scholarships to promising students. He created the Charles C. Woodson Scholarship in the School of Kinesiology and the Georgia A. Woodson Scholarship Fund in the Office of Financial Aid in honor of his mother.
David R. Walt
Chemist, engineer, innovator and entrepreneur, Walt is a renowned researcher who revolutionized the process of genetic and proteomic sequencing and founded both Illumina and Quanterix. In addition to his innovative work, Walt is passionate about furthering STEM education in local high schools and fostering a love of science and engineering in young people. He is a member of U-M’s Life Sciences Institute Scientific Advisory Board and Leadership Council and has served on the Department of Chemistry Advisory Board and the LSA Dean’s Advisory Council. He and his wife, Michele May, are members of the Victors for Michigan National Campaign Leadership Board and the New England Campaign Leadership Council. Together, they created the May-Walt Summer Chemistry Scholars Fund to support student research.
Penny W. Stamps
With the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design and Stamps Auditorium located in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, bearing her name, Penny W. Stamps is no stranger to U-M. As an alumna of Michigan, Stamps is a former teacher and business owner, who has always been passionate about art and education. More than two decades ago, she and her husband, E. Roe Stamps, created the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation. The organization awards merit-based scholarships to more than 40 partner colleges and universities in the United States. The Stamps Scholarship covers all expenses for four years of undergraduate study in any discipline and also includes a monetary enrichment fund that scholars can use for their academic and professional development.
Jeanne Craig Sinkford
Nationally and internationally renowned as a dental educator, administrator, researcher and clinician, Sinkford was the first woman dean of an American dental school and led Howard University’s College of Dentistry from 1975 to 1991. She is a respected educator, academic leader and social justice advocate.
Don’t forget to join the commencement conversation online with #MgoGrad! See you Saturday!
