Freeman Hrabowski III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), will deliver Hamilton College’s 2019 Commencement address and receive an honorary degree on Sunday, May 26, at 10:30 AM in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House.
Honorary degrees will also be awarded to The New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast (a graduate of Kirkland College,) former director of the Office of Management and Budget Shaun Donovan, and Hamilton alumnus and trustee Jeff Little ’71.
Hrabowski has served as president of UMBC since 1992 and is a consultant on science and math education to national agencies, universities, and school systems. During his tenure at UMBC, the University has been recognized as a model for a commitment to diversity by such publications as
U.S. News
. Additionally, President Barack Obama selected him to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans.
He was also named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by
TIME
in 2012 and one of America’s Best Leaders by
U.S. News & World Report
in 2008, in addition to other leadership accolades including TIAA-CREF’s “Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence” in 2011, the Carnegie Corporation’s 2011 “Academic Leadership Award,” and the 2012 “Heinz Award” for innovative contributions in the “Human Condition” area.
Roz Chast’s work has appeared in numerous magazines through the years, including
The Village Voice
,
National Lampoon
,
Scientific American
,
Harvard Business Review
,
Redbook
, and
Mother Jones
. She is perhaps best known, however, for her with with
The New Yorker
.
Shaun Donovan served as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2009 to 2014 under President Barack Obama, and Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2014 to 2017. He previously headed the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
In addition to receiving an honorary degree, Donovan will give the Baccalaureate address on Saturday, May 25, at 3 PM in the Scott Field House. 508 students will receive bachelor’s degrees during the ceremony.
Jeff Little ’71 was president and CEO of George Little Management Inc. from 1982 to 2007. Little has been a lead donor to Hamilton priorities for more than 25 years. The Little Pub, the Little Squash Center, and the amphitheatre that fronts the Kennedy Center are named in his honor. He has also supported multiple endowments for scholarships, internships, and professorships, among other College priorities.
Little, along with David Solomon ’84, is serving as co-chair of the Because Hamilton capital campaign. It marks the fourth time Little has played a leadership role in a major Hamilton initiative, having previously chaired the New Century Campaign, the Excelsior campaign, and the Bicentennial Initiatives campaign. In recognition of his many years of service as a trustee and in fundraising, Hamilton named its Volunteer of the Year Award in Little’s honor in 2014.
