The University of Michigan community is being asked to nominate individuals who have contributed to their field or society to be considered for honorary degrees.
“Our honorary degree recipients are outstanding individuals of talent, excellence and achievement, who exemplify the ethos, mission and purposes of our university,” President Santa J. Ono.
MORE INFORMATION
Nominees may be individuals who have advanced their field of endeavor in significant ways, or who have made compelling contributions to society.
The committee typically meets once in the fall and once in the spring to consider nominations. Although nominations can be submitted at any time, the nominating deadline is 5 p.m. Jan. 31 for individuals to be considered for honorary degrees as early as the 2025 Winter Commencement.
The committee, chaired by Rackham Graduate School Dean Michael J. Solomon, includes faculty members from the Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn campuses, students and alumni, all of whom are appointed by the Board of Regents on the recommendation of the president.
“I encourage our faculty, students, staff and alumni to bring forward honorary degree nominations. Those with deep connections to our university are ideally suited to nominate individuals who exemplify with distinction the aspirations of our institution,” Solomon said.
U-M commencement speakers are typically drawn from the pool of those approved for honorary degrees.
Past U-M honorary degree recipients include musician Wynton Marsalis, President Barack Obama, author Brad Meltzer, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta, U.S. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., journalist Rebecca Blumenstein, artist Michele Oka Doner, poet Rita Dove and economist Robert J. Shiller.
