USI Board of Trustees approves 2023 Spring degree candidates, honorary degree recipients

At its regular meeting on Thursday, March 2, the University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees approved the conferral of associate, bachelor, master and doctoral degrees to eligible candidates at the Spring Commencement Ceremonies, to be held Friday and Saturday, May 5-6, at the Screaming Eagles Arena. The Board also approved the conferral of two honorary degrees to be presented at the Spring Commencement Ceremonies.  

An honorary Doctor of Science degree will be presented to Dr. Marlene Shaw, Professor Emerita of Biology, who served the University with distinction from 1973 until her retirement in 2009. Shaw continues to serve the University and community through the annual Shaw Biology Lecture, bringing scientific scholars to campus whose work interfaces biology with areas such as medicine, ethics, law, agriculture, chemistry, public health and politics. 

An honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree will be presented to Richard Hunt, a world-renowned artist from Chicago who has been a sculptor for over 50 years. Hunt’s work, “From Our Past Toward Our Future,” a 14-foot, 2,000-pound stainless steel statue and gift from the late James Sanders, Director Emeritus of Corporate and Foundation Relations, graces The Quad near the Arts Center. The piece was commissioned in 2015 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of USI’s founding. 

In other business, the Board heard updates on the Indiana General Assembly and received campus construction updates.