BGU Awards Honorary Doctoral Degree to Donna Shalala
BGU Awards Honorary Doctoral Degree to Donna Shalala
June 1, 2011
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, June 1, 2011 – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev awarded an honorary doctoral degree to former Clinton cabinet member and University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala on Monday evening.
In conferring the degree, BGU President Prof. Rivka Carmi said, “This award recognizes Donna Shalala’s dedication to public service, promoting access to health care and her devotion to education to bridge social inequalities. It also acknowledges her commitment to the improvement of health services and access to higher education.”
Accepting the degree, Shalala said, “I am honored to share this special day with the students and scholars at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. BGU proudly represents Israel’s abiding commitment to the special values and tradition of higher education.”
Shalala has more than 30 years of experience as an accomplished scholar, government executive, teacher and administrator. During her tenure, the University of Miami has solidified its position among top U.S. research universities.
She has raised $1.4 billion in private support for the university’s endowment, academic and research programs, and facilities, one of the first billion dollar capital campaigns completed.
Last year she received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights, which recognizes individuals for outstanding dedication in improving the health and life chances of disadvantaged populations in South Africa and internationally.
In 2008, President Bush presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. President Bush later handpicked Shalala to co-chair with Senator Bob Dole the Commission on Care for Returning Wounded Warriors.
Shalala served eight years as U.S. secretary of health and human services (HHS) under President Clinton, becoming the longest serving HHS secretary in U.S. history.
She also served in the Carter administration from 1977 to 1980 as assistant secretary for public development and research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Shalala was president of Hunter College of the City University of New York from 1980 to 1987 and served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1987 to 1993.
Throughout her distinguished career, Shalala also served on the Council on Foreign Relations; National Academy of Education; the National Academy of Public Administration; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; the American Philosophical Society; the National Academy of Social Insurance; the American Academy of Political and Social Science; and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.
She earned her Ph.D. degree from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and received her A.B. degree in history from Western College for Women.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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