To mark the 75th anniversary of the first class of undergraduate women admitted to Clark in 1942, all three recipients in 2018 — Commencement speaker Hauwa Ibrahim, Susan Hanson, and Christine Ortiz — were women.
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Mr. President, I have the honor of presenting Christine Ortiz — scientist, engineer, social entrepreneur, educator, and professor.
Dr. Ortiz, in addition to your current appointment as Morris Cohen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, you served as Dean of Graduate Education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for six years, focusing on creating pathways for women and students of color to advance in graduate and research careers in science and engineering. As a professor and administrator, you identified problems ingrained in traditional academic institutions, which motivated you to create a nontraditional learning framework. Station1, currently in development, will offer a new way to teach STEM, concentrating on inquiry-based learning in science and technology for students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Station1’s programs will be aligned with its overarching principles: a dedication to science- and technology-rich learning, multidisciplinary studies, and education that is equitable for students of diverse backgrounds. Its model is based on inclusion and equity, learning through frontier project-based inquiry and research, and the integration of science and technology with societal perspective and impact. And you plan to do it without traditional classrooms and lectures.
Dr. Ortiz, you have authored or co-authored more than 170 scholarly publications and received 30 national and international honors, including the Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering, presented at the White House by President George W. Bush. We are proud to add to that list of distinguished recognitions.
Mr. President, on behalf of the trustees, faculty, students, and staff of Clark University, I request that the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, be conferred on Christine Ortiz.