Newswise — STONY BROOK, New York--April 29, 2019–-Stony Brook University will award an honorary degree to three trailblazers at its 2019 commencement ceremony: actor and polymath, Alan Alda; Me Too Movement founder Tarana Burke, and Crittercam inventor Greg Marshall (SBU ‘88 MS Marine Science)., announced President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. The degrees will be conferred on Friday, May 24 at 11am at Stony Brook University’s 59th commencement ceremony at the Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
Alda will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, recognizing a career that has brought a multitude of accomplishments and awards, and establishment of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. Tarana Burke will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters for her prominent role as a female activist and for breaking the silence for sexual assault victims around the world. Named as one of the “Silence Breakers” in Time magazine’s 2017 Person of the Year issue, Burke is founder and Director of “Just Be Inc.”, and Senior Director of Girls for Gender Equity (GGE). Marshall, a Stony Brook University Marine Sciences Masters program alumnus who invented Crittercam -- a compact device that can be attached to an animal, land or sea, to study its behavior in the wild -- will receive a Doctor of Science for his dedication to observing the behavior of marine and terrestrial species from around the world.
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Editor's Note: High resolution photos available
About the 2019 Honorary Degree Recipients
Alan Alda
Alan Alda is an award-winning actor, director, screenwriter, author, and advocate for science communication and women's rights. He has earned international recognition for his multitude of accomplishments, has earned seven Emmy awards, and appeared in many well-known television series and films. In one year alone, he was nominated for an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy and wrote a best-selling book. In addition to Alda's achievements in the performing arts, he is an active women's rights advocate and has a great passion for science communication. He has worked to support equal rights for women and to help broaden the public's understanding of science. This includes hosting the PBS award winning series, Scientific American Frontiers, and running the international Flame Challenge. In 2009, Alda brought his experience and passion for science to Stony Brook University, helping to found the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. The Alda Center has become a global leader in communication training and research and has trained more than 12,000 scientists and health professionals. Alda has received many prestigious awards for his work in science communication, including the Scientific American Lifetime Achievement Award. Through his work at the Alda Center, Alan Alda continues to inspire scientists and health professionals in the Stony Brook Community and around the world.
"Thanks to Alan Alda, Stony Brook has emerged as a powerful advocate for science communication. His curiosity, his passion and his enthusiasm are infectious; indeed he has inspired a whole generation of scientists with his visionary approach to changing how we talk about our work," said President Stanley. "For his advocacy of women’s rights, his incredibly diverse career in television, film and theater, and for his ability to connect the worlds of art and science in ways no one has before, we are truly excited to confer a Doctor of Fine Arts upon Alan Alda at our graduation ceremony in May, where he will join the class of 2019 and more than 150,000 graduates around the world, as an alumnus of Stony Brook University.”
Tarana Burke
Tarana Burke is an African American civil rights activist, who is widely known for starting the "Me Too" movement to raise public awareness of sexual abuse. While this movement has gained recognition over the past year, Burke independently launched the “Me Too" campaign more than ten years ago to help underprivileged women of color who may have been affected by sexual abuse. In 2017, the popular hashtag #MeToo quickly went viral over social media, following a worldwide response to the flood of sexual misconduct allegations in the entertainment industry. This public reaction was both illuminating and empowering as it helped and continues to help shape public consensus toward intolerance of sexual abuse. The Me Too Movement has given women and men from all walks of life the courage to come forward and share their stories with the hope of promoting change and preventing further victims of sexual violence. As part of Burke's activism, she also serves as the Senior Director of the Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) in Brooklyn, which strives to help young girls and women of color, ranging from ages 8-19, increase their cognitive and social development through focused interventions. GGE offers programs that improve strength, skills, and self-sufficiency in girls to help guide them in making meaningful choices in their lives.
“The movement Tarana Burke created has significantly influenced the way in which people understand sexual assault,” said President Stanley. “The powerful message that she offers through her activism has given men and women throughout the world the courage to speak out, with hope of prevention and change. For this and all Tarana has contributed to our society, we are incredibly proud to be able to confer upon her a Doctor of Humane Letters.”
Greg Marshall
Greg Marshall is known all over the world as a leading animal conservationist, serving as a National Geographic Research Associate. Marshall earned his master's degree in Marine Science from Stony Brook University in 1988. During the course of his career, Marshall inspired millions of people worldwide through his 1986 invention of the Crittercam. The Crittercam is a small, lightweight camera that is mounted directly on an animal in the wild. This non-invasive camera allows for humans to experience the world through the animal's' perspective. It provides access to the animal's surrounding environment, such as temperature, light level, depth of the ocean, and direction in which the animal is heading. The Crittercam offers an exhilarating method of presenting nature, especially because it allows the viewers to walk alongside the animals. Most National Geographic television specials that feature a look through the inhabitants eyes use Marshall's Crittercam invention. Marshall is a two time Emmy Award winner. He has developed, produced, or otherwise been closely involved in more than 70 National Geographic documentaries that include the observation of sea lions, sharks, bears, penguins, turtles, lions, monkeys, and more. Additional contributions include more than 60 short films airing on PBS. Marshall's films are known to be visually engaging while communicating fundamental principles of biology and a strong conservation message.
“Greg Marshall literally changed the world with his Crittercam invention," said President Stanley. "As a result, we have a much clearer understanding of our planet and the species we share it with, so we are incredibly proud to confer upon him a Doctor of Science. Greg is living proof of how a Stony Brook experience makes a real difference and that we should follow our dreams because no idea is too big or too small when it comes to entrepreneurial spirit.”
About Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University, widely regarded as a SUNY flagship, is going beyond the expectations of what today’s public universities can accomplish. Since its founding in 1957, this young university has grown to become one of only four University Center campuses in the State University of New York (SUNY) system with over 26,000 students, more than 2,700 faculty members and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs. Our faculty have earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. The University offers students an elite education with an outstanding return on investment: U.S.News & World Report ranks Stony Brook among the top 40 public universities in the nation. Its membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places Stony Brook among the top 62 research institutions in North America. As part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University joins a prestigious group of universities that have a role in running federal R&D labs. Stony Brook University fuels Long island’s economic growth. Its impact on the Long island economy amounts to $7.38 billion in increased output. Our state, country and world demand ambitious ideas, imaginative solutions and exceptional leadership to forge a better future for all. The students, alumni, researchers and faculty of Stony Brook University are prepared to meet this challenge.
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