honorary degree nominations for Commencement 2002
KINGSTON, R.I. — October 30, 2001 — What do such notables as Coretta Scott King, Elie Wiesel, Christiane Amanpour, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Jesse Jackson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Aaron Copland, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Margaret Chase Smith have in common? They all are among an elite group of individuals who have been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Rhode Island since 1941.
Now the URI Honorary Degree Committee invites you to nominate candidates for honorary degrees to be conferred at the 2002 Commencement Ceremonies.
The committee seeks names of individuals who have distinguished themselves through important contributions to the University, to the State of Rhode Island, or to the nation—individuals who deserve to be honored by the University and who will bring honor to the University by accepting a URI degree. The committee especially invites the nomination of distinguished female and minority candidates.
Last year’s honorary degree recipients were: Walter S. Mossberg, creator of the weekly Personal Technology column in The Wall Street Journal; Marlene McCarthy, a leading breast cancer advocate; Jhumpa Lahiri, the youngest writer ever to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; David Kim, concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra and founder of the Kingston Chamber Music Festival; and Marion F. Avarista, former president of Travelers Aid Society of Rhode Island. Each recipient spoke for a few moments during commencement ceremonies. A complete list of previous honorary degree recipients is at www.uri.edu/commencement/honorary/recipient.html
Review of nominations will begin on Dec. 1, 2001.
All supporting documentation must accompany the nomination form. The nomination form is online at www.uri.edu/commencement/honorary/form.html or contact Ronda Hammond at 401-874-4410 or by email at ronda@uri.edu.
For Information: Jhodi Redlich, 874-4500