Presiding Bishop to receive honorary degree from Oxford University

Posted Feb 7, 2014

[Oxford University press release] Six leading figures from the worlds of science, the arts and religion are set to receive honorary degrees from the University of Oxford this year, subject to approval by Congregation.

The degrees will be awarded at Encaenia, the University’s annual honorary degree ceremony, on Wednesday 25 June 2014.

Degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa:

The Most Reverend Dr Katharine Jefferts Schori, PhD, is Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America and 16 other nations. Over the course of her nine-year term, Bishop Jefferts Schori is responsible for initiating and developing policy for the Episcopal Church and speaks on behalf of the church regarding the policies, strategies and programmes authorised by General Convention. Bishop Jefferts Schori’s studies for the priesthood, to which she was ordained in 1994, were preceded by her career as an oceanographer. She holds a BSc in biology from Stanford University, an MSc and PhD in oceanography from Oregon State University, an MDiv from Church Divinity School of the Pacific, and several honorary doctoral degrees.

Degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa:

Sir Anish Kapoor, CBE, RA, is one of Britain’s foremost sculptors. Sir Anish, a Turner Prize winner and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, was knighted in 2013 and contributed the iconic sculpture ‘Orbit’ to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Born in Mumbai, he completed his art education in London and has showcased his work in solo exhibitions in many of the most famous museums in the world, including the Louvre in Paris and the Tate Modern and Royal Academy of Art in London. He represented the UK at the XLIV Venice Biennale, where he won the Premio Duemila Prize, and in 2002 he was awarded the Unilever Commission for the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern.

Mr Robert Silvers, BA Chicago, became co-editor with Barbara Epstein of the New York Review of Books when it was founded in 1963 and has been sole editor since her death in 2006. Among Mr Silvers’ honours in the USA are the National Book Foundation’s Literarian Award for Outstanding Service and the Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters for Distinguished Service to the Arts. In 2013 he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama. In France, Mr Silvers is a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur and a Member of the Ordre National du Mérite. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an Honorary Fellow of the British Academy.

Degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa:

Professor Wallace Broecker, PhD, is Newberry Professor of Geology at Columbia University and a scientist at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Professor Broecker’s main research interest involves defining the ocean’s role in climate change. He was a pioneer in radiocarbon and uranium-series dating, which are quintessential tools for mapping the Earth’s past climate fluctuations. He was first to recognise the role of the Ocean Conveyor Belt, which he named. Among his accolades are the Crafoord Prize, the Balzan Prize, and the National Medal of Science. He is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA and a Foreign Member of the Royal Society.

Professor Jean-Marie Lehn, PhD, was a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1987 for his pioneering studies on the chemical basis of molecular recognition. Honorary Professor of Chemistry at the Collège de France and Emeritus Professor at the University of Strasbourg, Professor Lehn’s other honours include the Davy Medal of the Royal Society and the rank of Commandeur in the Légion d’honneur. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a Member of the Académie des Sciences, and a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA.

Degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa:

Sir Harrison Birtwistle, CH, RAM (Hon FRAM), Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, is one of the leading British composers of his generation. Among his key works are the operas Punch and Judy, The Last Supper, The Minotaur and The Mask of Orpheus, which received its première at the English National Opera in 1986. His music has been conducted by Boulez, Barenboim, Howarth, Dohnànyi, Knussen, Rattle, Eötvös and Welser-Möst. Sir Harrison was knighted in 1988 and received the Grawemeyer Award in 1986 and the Siemens Prize in 1995. He was made a Companion of Honour in 2001.


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