2012 Honorary Degree Recipients
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Christiane Amanpour is the global affairs anchor at ABC News, as well as chief international correspondent and host of Amanpour for CNN International. Her illustrious career spans three decades, and she stands among our nation’s most highly regarded journalists. She has reported from around the globe and secured exclusive interviews with top world leaders. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to journalism, she has received every major broadcast award, including an inaugural Television Academy Award, nine News and Documentary Emmys, four George Foster Peabody Awards, and nine honorary degrees.
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Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire served as force commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda between 1993 and 1994. During this time, when violence erupted in Rwanda, he defied U.N. orders to withdraw his troops, and his remarkably brave efforts are credited with saving more than 32,000 lives. He currently serves as a Canadian senator, and has worked tirelessly to establish international conventions that ban the use of child soldiers in armed conflicts.
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Dana Dornsife has established a legacy of philanthropy as a USC benefactor and international humanitarian. She has been dedicated to improving people’s quality of life through her support of innovative research, medical outreach, and the drilling of wells in Africa. Together with her husband David, she provided the single largest gift in the university’s history—a transformative contribution that named the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 2011.
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David Dornsife has earned tremendous esteem as an industry leader, serving as chairman of the board of the Herrick Corporation and vice president of the Hedco Foundation, which supports health and education. He is a USC trustee and alumnus whose family’s dedication to advancing the university’s work in neuroscience and medicine dates back several decades. Together with his wife Dana, he provided the single largest gift in the university’s history—a transformative contribution that named the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 2011.
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Victoria Hale is a pharmaceutical scientist and social entrepreneur who has dedicated her life to providing safe, effective, and affordable medical solutions and reducing health inequities in our society. She founded Medicines360 and the first non-profit pharmaceutical company in the United States, Institute for OneWorld Health. The institute’s work has immeasurably advanced human health by developing a new cure for black fever, as well as technology that has significantly reduced the cost of malaria drugs.
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Armas C. “Mike” Markkula has distinguished himself as an entrepreneur, innovator, and engineer. He played a key role in the founding and growth of Apple Computer, having served as an early investor, adviser, and chief executive officer. Through his involvement at Apple, as well as his myriad technical achievements, he stands among the select group of inspired thinkers who have shaped our current technological landscape. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from USC.
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Julie Mork is a philanthropic leader and champion of education, as well as an advocate of youth and visually impaired children. She and her family transformed the educational landscape at USC through their monumental gift that stands as the single largest contribution for undergraduate scholarships in the university’s history. They have also been steadfast supporters of engineering education at the university, having provided the naming gift for the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science in 2005.
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John Mork is a USC trustee and alumnus who stands at the fore of energy entrepreneurship as the chief executive officer of Energy Corporation of America. A venerated business leader, he is a member of the Chief Executives Organization, the World Presidents’ Organization, as well as the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Board of Councilors. He and his family transformed the educational landscape at USC through their monumental gift that stands as the single largest contribution for undergraduate scholarships in the university’s history.
You can view a list of previous recipients here.
USC is proud to honor our Nisei students at this year's Commencement ceremony! Click here for more details.
Honorary Degrees at USC
Since Commencement 1912, the University of Southern California has awarded honorary degrees, presently the highest award the university confers. Honorary degrees are given:
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To honor individuals who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary achievements in scholarship, the professions or other creative activities, whether or not they are widely known by the general public;
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To honor alumni and other individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the welfare and development of USC or the communities of which they are a part;
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To recognize exceptional acts of philanthropy to the university and/or on the nation or world scene; and
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To elevate the university in the eyes of the world by honoring individuals who are widely known and highly regarded for achievements in their respective fields of endeavor.
For more information about the nomination and selection process, please click here.
The History of Honorary Degrees
Honorary degrees began in the Middle Ages as a way for the ruling class to highlight individuals it felt warranted recognition. In the Elizabethan Era, honorary degrees were commonplace. The practice in America dates back to end of the 17th Century when Increase Mather received a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree from Harvard in 1692. Revolutionary War heroes were also chosen by Ivy League institutions for academic accolades; General George Washington was given a Doctor of Laws degree, also from Harvard.
By the mid-20th Century, universities began to work closely with faculty and trustees to devise an evaluation system, one that would ensure only the highest standards of excellence would be considered during the selection process. Individual universities still follow their own guidelines, but all remain aware of the sanctity of the honor. Generally, the honorary degree is a doctorate; masters' degrees are rare, and Ph.D.s are unofficially prohibited.