Dartmouth will award six honorary degrees to leaders in fields such as cancer research to theatrical dance during Commencement on Sunday.
Speaker Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone, will be honored for his pioneering work with children and low-income families in Harlem. University of California at San Francisco Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, former IBM chairman and CEO Louis Gerstner Jr., '63, dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison, filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, former National Science Foundation director Subra Suresh and litigator William King Jr., '63 will also receive honorary degrees.
Canada, Gerstner and King will receive doctor of humane letters, while Obomsawin and Jamison will be awarded doctor of arts degrees. Suresh and Desmond-Hellmann will receive doctor of science degrees.
Canada has led the Harlem Children's Zone, an education nonprofit, since 1990. The Harlem Children's Zone provides resources and educational opportunities, including parenting workshops and free preschool to underprivileged children in Harlem.
The New York Times magazine called the Harlem Children's Zone "one of the biggest social experiments of our time."
Canada has been recognized nationally for his innovative work in education, and was prominently featured in Davis Guggenheim's documentary, "Waiting for Superman" (2010).
Desmond-Hellmann is an oncologist and a world-renowned biotechnology leader. She spent 14 years at Genentech, where she developed gene-targeted cancer medicines and served on the company's executive committee. One of Forbes Magazine's seven most powerful innovators in 2009, she served on the National Institute of Health's advisory committee on the National Center for Advancing Translational Science.
Gerstner, chairman and CEO of IBM from 1993 to 2002, is credited with transforming the company, reshaping both its structure and culture. He previously served as a co-chair of Achieve, which sought to increase academic standards for public schools. His family has supported cancer research and natural history museums.
He established a College scholarship fund in his name.
Jamison, the former artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American dance company, starred in several roles that Ailey created for her, including "Cry." Jamison recently received the Handel Medallion, the highest honor awarded by New York City for those who have contributed to the city's intellectual and cultural life.
King is an attorney at McGuire, Woods and Battle, now McGuireWoods LLP. Although he specializes in commercial and product liability cases, he stressed the importance of environmental law and helped organize a corresponding section on the Virginia State bar exam. He is a respected authority in nationwide product liability cases.
He has served as the chairman of the College's Board of Trustees and led the search committee for former College President James Wright.
Obomsawin, a Canadian filmmaker and a member of the Abenaki Nation, was a Montgomery Fellow at the College in 2011. Her documentaries depict the lives and concerns of First Nations peoples. She has made over 30 documentaries, including the award-winning "Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance" (1993). She is also a printmaker, singer and has been the subject of a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Suresh, recently appointed Carnegie Mellon University's ninth president, served as director of the National Science Foundation from 2010 to 2013. He was formerly the dean of engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research on the mechanical properties and material design has influenced various scientific disciplines.
Last year's degree recipients included South African musician and anthropologist Johnny Clegg and Greenland human rights leader and politician Aqqaluk Lynge.
Former College President Jim Yong Kim and his wife Younsook Lim received surprise honorary degrees at last year's Commencement.
