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Honorary Degrees


Commencement speaker Jon Meacham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and the editor of Newsweek, urged members of the class of 2010 to “right a few wrongs and leave the world a better place than [they] found it” during his address. In addition to Meacham, who was awarded an honorary doctor of journalism degree, the college awarded three other honorary degrees during the ceremony. Paula Apsell, executive producer of PBS’s NOVA, received an honorary doctor of science education; Deborah Bial, president and founder of The Posse Foundation, received an honorary doctor of education; and Marcia Dale Weary, founding artistic director of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, received an honorary doctor of performing arts.


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  • President William G. Durden '71 elicited laughter and cheers as he presented graduates with one of the discontinued Dining Hall trays during one of the ceremony's lighter moments.
    William G. Durden '71
  • Paula S. Aspell, senior executive producer of NOVA and director of the WGBH Science Unit, receives her honorary doctor of science education from The Honorable John E. Jones III '77. Missy Niblock, assistant professor of biology, and Jeremy Vetter, assistant professor of environmental history, look on as Durden reads the citation. 
    Paula S. Aspell
  • Deborah Bial, founder and president of The Posse Foundation, is presented with the honorary doctor of education degree by Joyce Bylander, special assistant to the president for institutional and diversity initiatives.
    Deborah Bial
  • Marcia Dale Weary, founding artistic director of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, is presented with an honorary doctorate of performing arts by Sarah Skaggs, assistant professor of dance. 
    Marcia Dale Weary
  • Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek, is presented with the honorary doctor of journalism by Matthew Pinsker, associate professor of history.
    Jon Meacham
  • Jon Meacham delivers his Commencement address. 
    Jon Meacham
  • Students and faculty usher Meghan Reedy, assistant professor of classical studies, look on during Meacham's address.
    Students look on
  • In one of the lighter moments of his address, Meacham advised the graduates to “write thank-you notes on real paper—the dead tree kind.”
    Jon Meacham
President William G. Durden '71 elicited laughter and cheers as he presented graduates with one of the discontinued Dining Hall trays during one of the ceremony's lighter moments. Prev ImageNext Image