Along with the more than 2,300 Washington University students who will receive degrees at the Commencement ceremonies on May 21, the University will award six accomplished individuals with honorary doctorate degrees.
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, who will deliver the Commencement address, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University.
A doctor of laws degree will also be awarded to Joe Edwards, the co-founder and opener of Blueberry Hill, for his orchestration of the ongoing revitalization of The Loop.
The first of three doctor of science degrees will be presented to David Kipnis, M.D., Distinguished University Professor of Medicine and Distinguished University Professor of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology. Kipnis has been a dedicated contributor to the School of Medicine throughout the past 50 years, and he has conducted groundbreaking research in the areas of diabetes and metabolism.
“I’m very flattered and very appreciative,” Kipnis said of the award, adding that he intends to continue teaching as long as he can recognize who he is.
Kipnis cited the inquisitive nature of medical students as the reason he wants to continue teaching. “The youngest people in the system tend to ask the best questions,” he said. “It keeps me intellectually alert.”
A doctor of science degree will also be offered to the late Robert M. Walker, a former professor of physics in Arts & Sciences. Walker’s numerous accomplishments included his service as the inaugural director of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, his election to the National Academy of Sciences in 1973 and his research involving moon rocks. The late professor’s wife, Ghislaine Crozaz, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University, will accept the doctorate in Walker’s honor.
The third doctor of science degree will be presented to Edith Waldman Wolff, a generous supporter of the School of Medicine. Wolff has funded research on diabetic, pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases, among others.
The University will also award a doctor of humanities degree to Theodore McMillian, a judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. McMillian was the first African-American appointed to the federal bench in the 8th district, and many of his opinions have greatly influenced U.S. Supreme Court rulings.