Stock Exchange CEO Richard Grasso, Nobelist and Neuroscientist Paul Greengard, Film Director and NYU Alum Ang Lee, Author and NYU Alum Cynthia Ozick, Educator Ruth Simmons, and University of London President Graham Zellick New York University President L. Jay Oliva today announced the names of the six individuals who will receive honorary doctoral degrees at NYU’s 2001 Commencement. The 169th Commencement will be held on Thursday, May 10 at 10:30 am in Washington Square Park in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood.
The honorary degree recipients will be:
- Richard A. Grasso, Chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange and member of the Board of Overseers of NYU’s Stern School of Business; he will receive a Doctor of Commerce degree, honoris causa
- Paul Greengard, Nobel Laureate, Vincent Astor Professor and head of the Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience at the Rockefeller University; he will receive a Doctor of Science degree, honoris causa
- Ang Lee, Academy Award-winning filmmaker and NYU alumnus; he will receive a Doctor of Fine Arts degree, honoris causa
- Cynthia Ozick, National Book Award-winning author and alumna of NYU; she will receive a Doctor of Letters, honoris causa
- Ruth J. Simmons, president of Smith College and president-elect of Brown Univ.; she will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa
- Graham J. Zellick, vice-chancellor and president of the University of London; he will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa
Dr. Oliva said, “It is easy to marvel at the parade of achievement that passes through this University, year in and year out: authors and artists, business people and performers, scientists and educators, public servants and medical professionals, social workers and attorneys, Nobel winners and Pulitzer winners, Oscar winners and recipients of national honors in the arts and sciences. Commencement is a moment that reminds us of all we have accomplished as individuals and how we are tied together as a community. In recognizing these six people recipients of a degree, the highest honor we can bestow we hold up a mirror to ourselves, to remind us what great things we have done, and what great things remain for our graduates to do.”