Latest news with #honoraryDegree
Associated Press
4 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Norma Patteson Mills '60 Presented with Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Sweet Briar College
Norma Patteson Mills '60 receives honorary degree at Sweet Briar's 116th Commencement for a lifetime of generosity, leadership, and service. 'Norma Mills has a deep appreciation for the value and benefit of art and culture on the spiritual well-being, creativity, and intellectual lives of the people in the communities she serves.'— President Mary Pope M. Huston '83 SWEET BRIAR, VA, UNITED STATES, May 30, 2025 / / -- During Sweet Briar's 116th Commencement ceremony on May 17, Norma Patteson Mills '60 received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the College. In its 124-year history, this is an honor that the College has rarely bestowed on an individual. Following a lifetime of extraordinary service and generosity to many arts and cultural organizations, Norma is truly deserving of this special title. A native of Amherst, Va., Norma was interested in attending Sweet Briar from childhood. She entered the College in the fall of 1956 as a proud member of the Class of 1960, pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology. She left Sweet Briar at the end of her junior year to marry the love of her life, Olan Mills, and move with him to his hometown of Chattanooga, Tenn., although she never forgot Sweet Briar. She completed her psychology degree at the University of Chattanooga and earned a degree from the Education for Ministry Program at Sewanee: The University of the South. Throughout their lives together, Norma and Olan have been philanthropic leaders and visionary donors to numerous nonprofits and institutions, including Sweet Briar College. They have joined others in transforming the city of Chattanooga through their service and commitment to their community. In recognition of their extraordinary generosity to the College, which has supported a variety of vital purposes, Sweet Briar's Memorial Chapel was renamed the Mills Chapel in 2021. In addition to her generosity, Norma has also dedicated her time to inspiring others to give by serving on several campaign cabinets for Sweet Briar. She served on the Sweet Briar College Board of Directors and is also a former member of the Alumnae Board. She and Olan have been regular attendees at events supporting the College. Furthermore, Norma was honored with the College's Outstanding Alumna Award in 2005. As an active civic and church leader in her community, Norma's philanthropy and dedication have benefited Sweet Briar College and touched many lives. She has served on several church search committees and on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Chattanooga Children's Hospital Foundation, the Tennessee Aquarium, the AIM Center of Chattanooga, the Tennessee River Gorge Trust, the University of Chattanooga Foundation, the Episcopal Media Center, Sewanee, and the Hunter Museum of Art. Norma is the former president of the board of the Bright School, vice chairman of the Campaign for Sewanee, and co-chair of the Visiting Committee of the School of Theology of Sewanee. For their extraordinary service to the Chattanooga arts community, Norma and Olan were presented with the Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award by ArtsBuild in 2024. 'Clearly, Norma Mills has a deep appreciation for the value and benefit of art and culture on the spiritual well-being, creativity, and intellectual lives of the people in the communities she and her husband are part of,' President Mary Pope M. Huston '83 said while presenting the degree during Commencement. Norma's enduring connection to Sweet Briar is a powerful testament to the lifelong impact of a Sweet Briar education. Her story reflects the values of leadership, service, and community that define the Sweet Briar experience. As our students graduate and go on to shape the world, they do so, standing on the shoulders of alumnae like Norma. To learn more about Sweet Briar College and how you can become part of this extraordinary legacy, contact Admissions at [email protected] or call 434-381-6142. Communications and Marketing Sweet Briar College +1 434-381-6262 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube TikTok X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fury as controversial trans former health chief is given huge honor by all-women's college
A liberal arts women's college has come under fire for awarding former President Biden's transgender health secretary with an honorary degree. Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, announced it would be giving Admiral Rachel Levine an honorary degree. On Sunday, Levine was formally given the award - causing a protest on campus over the fact she is transgender. The college said it handed the award down for her work as an 'accomplished physician, public health expert, and LGBTQ + advocate'. She was one of four honorees selected by the college to speak at their commencement ceremony. Feminist group the Women's Declaration International had protested the decision last weekend prior to the ceremony. In a post to its X account they said: 'Tomorrow, Smith College - a historically women's college - will award Richard "Rachel" Levine an honorary degree. 'Levine, who pretends to be a woman, will then speak at commencement. We're on the ground in Northampton, MA to show our support for women.' 🚨Video of Biden transgender HSS official Rachel Levin's commencement address at Massachusetts all-women's Smith College. Obtained by @DailyCaller — Ashley Brasfield (@BrasfieldAshley) May 21, 2025 Prominent anti-trans activist Riley Gaines had also posted about the decision to hand Levine the degree. She wrote: 'Smith college, a private *women's* college in Massachusetts, awarded Rachel (Richard) Levine an honorary degree today. 'He then delivered the commencement address. Ladies, congratulations — your graduation was led by the very thing feminism was allegedly fighting.' While Biden's health secretary Levine had been pushing to make it easier for children under the age of 18 to change genders. Levine began her transition in 2011, when she was 54. She'd already been married for 23 years and raised two children, both of whom are now young adults. Levine has sparked controversy on multiple occasions as she endorsed providing to offer gender-affirming care to minors. She praised an Alaska gender-affirming care clinic in August of 2023, asserting the treatment it offered was 'lifesaving medical care.' The company she praised promotes ideas that children should learn that doctors 'assign' gender to babies by making a 'guess' - while also promoting the use of 'gender-inclusive biology.' Teachers and educators need to speak to children 'without assuming that there are only two sexes and that everyone within a particular sex is the same', they said. Prominent anti-trans activist Riley Gaines had also posted about the decision to hand Levine the degree Instead of using the word 'mother' in these conversations, they also recommend using terms such as 'egg producer' or 'carrier.' After word of the degree was spread on social media, users attacked the decision to hand it to Levine. One person posted: 'What a tragedy to have a man pretending to be a women receive an honorary degree at a woman's college.' Another commented: 'That's not progressive that's a slap to the face of all women. Educated women.' The commencement ceremony appears to have been plagued with problems, with fellow honoree Evelyn Harris, a musician, agreeing to give her degree back already. Smith College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton said in a letter on Tuesday, only two days after the ceremony, that Harris had been found to plagiarize her speech. The letter, seen by People, she said: 'It has come to our attention that one of our honorary degree recipients, musician Evelyn M. Harris, borrowed much of her speech to graduates and their families from the commencement speeches of others without the attribution typical of and central to the ideals of academic integrity. 'Ms. Harris was forthcoming about her choices while also acknowledging that she sought to infuse the words of others with her own emotional valence.'
CBC
17-05-2025
- General
- CBC
He helped usher in French immersion, and now this N.L. educator received an honorary degree from MUN
Robert Cormier has a long list of achievements, including being a member of the Order of Canada. But it's his dedication to the French language and education system that garnered him an honorary doctor of laws at MUN's Grenfell campus in an emotional ceremony.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Kristi Noem's honorary degree event draws scrutiny
Published: Updated: Kristi Noem faced the ultimate humiliation as she accepted an honorary degree on stage in South Dakota on Saturday. On the other side of the state, a woman from India that she has been trying to deport, Priya Saxena, was on stage at South Dakota Mines in Rapid City receiving her doctorate in chemical and biological engineering and a masters degree. Saxena was introduced to the crowd as Dr. Priya Saxena, sparking cheers from the audience. Meanwhile, Noem was heckled by protesters who rallied against her honorary degree in light of her work as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, leading the Trump administration's efforts to carry out the nation's largest mass deportation scheme. 'A doctorate in graft I could understand,' one sign outside the Dakota State University campus hall read as Noem beamed inside. Saxena has been a target of Noem and her department for weeks. The department maintains she should have her student visa revoked because in 2021 she was convicted on a misdemeanor charge of failing to move over for flashing yellow lights. Her student visa was set to expire in 2027, meaning she would have had to leave the country unless she secured a working visa relating to her field. Saxena sued Noem over her efforts and filed for a restraining order, arguing she declared the misdemeanor charge before applying for her next visa and that it is 'not a deportable offense.' The lawsuit also noted that she 'has not been involved in any political activity, has not attended any demonstrations, and has not made any statements about controversial public matters.' A judge sided with Saxena earlier this month, barring the government from taking any action in relation to the termination of her visa until a May 13 hearing, allowing Saxina to receive the degree she had been working toward for five years. Noem and her department were also 'temporarily enjoined from interfering with Saxena's freedom and from transferring Saxena out of the jurisdiction of the District of South Dakota during these proceedings.' The fact that she received her doctorate and masters degrees at the same time Noem was being honored rubs salt in the wound for the department. The battle over Saxena's immigration status returns to court this week. Noem herself has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from South Dakota State. The student senate and general faculty at the college both voted against Noem receiving an honorary degree, arguing it would be a highly politicized decision that would send a message to both international students and marginalized communities. But a spokesperson for the university told South Dakota Searchlight the decision to present Noem with an honorary degree and to invite her to speak at the ceremony was made while she was still the Governor of South Dakota. The invitation was extended due to Noem's longstanding support of the university's cybersecurity programs while she was in that role, the spokesperson said. In her speech, Noem encouraged students to believe in themselves like they once believed in Santa Claus, and expressed that receiving an education is important. But she warned 'the world still revolves on relationships.' 'People will be successful based on the people that they know and the people that they spend time with.' She went on to say: 'I'm going to encourage you that as you go out and tackle the next big thing in your life, to take your emergency brakes off. There's little things in our lives, little insecurities, little things that we're unsure of, maybe. Something that's scary, like moving across the country, taking a new position. It's your emergency brake that's holding you back. You still will move forward, but it might be tougher if you don't let it go.' Dakota State President José-Marie Griffiths credited Noem as one of the instrumental figures in transforming the university into the highly respected institution it is today. She said Noem 'changed the trajectory of this institution,' adding: 'And by the way, there were protests for that decision, too.' Protesters were not allowed inside the building but chanted loudly from outside as they lined the streets, shouting 'no honor for Noem' and branding her 'cruel.' One of the demonstrators said: 'One thing that immediately came to my brain when I heard she was coming here was I was genuinely scared for the massive amounts of international students that we have on campus. 'That's something we take pride in.' International students from Vietnam and India were among graduates being honored at the ceremony. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds rally outside Dakota State commencement
MADISON, S.D. (KELO) — Hundreds of protesters rallied outside Dakota State University's graduation ceremony Saturday as U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke to this year's graduating class. Since DSU announced the former South Dakota governor would be its commencement speaker, the decision has garnered its fair share of praise and criticism. DSU awards Noem honorary degree Not long before commencement, you could see plenty of people rallying along Washington Avenue in Madison. The two largest groups were near 2nd and 9th Streets. Rally goers were present during the entire ceremony and some stayed as Secretary Noem boarded a helicopter. Several people disagreed with Noem receiving an honorary degree. 'I just think it's a little ridiculous that she is being honored,' rally goer Ronan Wicks said. Others opposed her immigration policies. 'Specifically, the way that she's been handling Trump's immigration policy, the issues that we've been seeing with international student visas and visa revocations, as well as the lack of due process and the Trump administration as a whole,' rallygoer and Dakota State student Anden Wieseler said. However, not everyone was on board with the rally. 'I supporter her. I think that I disagree with the protest personally,' Matthew Birkeland said. Birkeland is a student at Dakota State. 'I think everybody's got the right to go protest and do whatever they want. I think it's good everybody getting their voice out, but I think it's a little distracting for the graduates,' Birkeland said. 'People in the community are holding signs that say, 'Congrats, grads, you deserve better.' There have been chants that have said 'Grads deserve better.' 100%, we support the graduates, and we think that this is their day,' Wieseler said. But whatever the opinion, rally goers voiced the importance of making it known. 'I think protests are one of the backbones of this country. I think making sure our voices are heard was something that the founding fathers wanted from all of us because we all are very opinionated everywhere,' Wicks said. Along with secret service, law enforcement from the Madison Police Department, the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the South Dakota Highway Patrol were also present at the event. PHOTOS: Noem's appearance in Madison Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
