The College will award seven honorary degrees at the Class of 2026’s commencement ceremony on June 14, according to an email to campus today from the Office of the President. The awards include two Doctors of Arts, one Doctor of Humane Letters, two Doctors of Laws and two Doctors of Science.
Each recipient has made an “outsized impact on their respective field through unparalleled leadership, boundless creativity and transformative innovation,” according to the email to campus.
Commencement speaker Rachel Dratch ’88 will receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. Dratch — an actress, writer and comedian — wrote and performed for seven seasons of Saturday Night Live from 1999 to 2006. She has also acted in television shows “30 Rock,” “Parks and Recreation” and “The King of Queens,” among others.
Playwright, educator and arts activist Karen Evans ’76 will receive the other honorary Doctor of Arts degree. Evans serves as founder and president of the Black Women Playwrights’ Group, which “mentors women playwrights of color at all stages of their careers,” according to Dartmouth News.
Attorney, diplomat and philanthropist Alfred Moses ’51 will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Moses served as a special advisor to former President Jimmy Carter and ambassador to Romania under former President Bill Clinton. In 1976, Moses brokered an agreement with the Business Roundtable — a lobbying group composed of executives from major American companies — to prohibit participation by American companies in Arab states’ boycott of Israel.
Free speech advocate Greg Lukianoff will also receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Lukianoff serves as president and chief executive officer of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a non-profit which advocates for “fundamental rights on college campuses. Last fall, FIRE ranked Dartmouth as the best Ivy League university for free speech.
Mathematician and computer scientist Maria Klawe will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree. Klawe’s research has contributed to “foundational work” in discrete mathematics, theoretical computer science and human-computer interaction, according to Dartmouth News. Klawe served as president of Harvey Mudd College from 2006 to 2023.
Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will also receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree. Murthy served as surgeon general from 2014 to 2017 and from 2021 to 2025 under the second Obama administration and the Biden administration, respectively. He has also researched the effects of chronic stress on health and well-being.
Philanthropist and public servant Gary Love ’76 will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Love served as chief executive officer of chocolate manufacturer Morgan Confections and as city director of strategy for San Francisco.
Jeremiah Rayban is a reporter and editor for The Dartmouth from Wilmington, Del., majoring in economics. Outside of The D, he enjoys reading, art and trivia.
