Honorary Degrees Committee – Annual Report – 2025-2026

Members:

Name	Rank	Department	Div	E/A	Term Ends	Email
Martha Carlin	FAC	History	AH	E	2028	carlin@uwm.edu
Gerlinde Höebel	FAC	Biological Sciences	NS	E	2028	hoebel@uwm.edu
Anna Schmidt2	AS	UWM Libraries	–	A	2028	schmidag@uwm.edu
Richard Popp	FAC	History	AH	A	2028	popp@uwm.edu
Kennan Ferguson	FAC	Political Science	SS	E	2027	kennan@uwm.edu
Cesar Ferreira	FAC	Spanish & Portuguese	AH	E	2027	cferr@uwm.edu
Jun Kim	FAC	Music	AH	A	2027	kimjy@uwm.edu
Michele Polfuss, Chair	FAC	Nursing	PR	E	2027	mpolfuss@uwm.edu
Ionel Popa	FAC	Physics	NS	E	2027	popa@uwm.edu
Susana Antunes	FAC	Spanish & Portuguese	AH	A	2026	antunes@uwm.edu
Sunny Brysch	AS	Teaching and Learning	–	A	2026	brysch@uwm.edu
Michael Farrell	FAC	Finance	SS	E	2026	farrell1@uwm.edu
Jeana Holt 1	FAC	Nursing	PR	E	2026	jmholt@uwm.edu
Maria Gillespie	FAC	Dance	AH	E	2026	gillespi@uwm.edu
Joan Nesbitt	VC	University Advancement (Chancellor Rep)	x-o	o	2026	nesbitjm@uwm.edu
Johannes Britz	VP	UW System rep	x-o	o	2026	jbritz@uwsa.edu
< >	Student	Undergrad	–	A	2026
< >	Student	Grad	–	A	2026

Charter:

A3.1    Honorary Degrees Committee

The committee considers and recommends candidates for honorary degrees, the Ernest Spaights Plaza marker, and citations for distinguished service. It coordinates campus-wide nomination processes and presents its recommendations in accordance with Faculty Senate procedures.

1. Membership. The committee is comprised of the following members:
   1. two elected Faculty members from each Division;
   2. one additional elected Faculty member from any Division;
   3. three faculty members appointed by the University Committee.
   4. two Academic Staff from the Division of Academic Affairs appointed by the Academic Staff Committee;
   5. two students appointed annually by the Student Association:
      1. one graduate student;
      2. one undergraduate student;
   6. two ex-officio and non-voting members as follows:
      1. the President of the University System;
      2. the Chancellor or designee.
2. Chair. The Chair of the committee is designated by the Chancellor.
3. Functions.
   1. Considers and recommends candidates for honorary degrees in accordance with the following procedure. During the spring semester, the Chair of the Honorary Degrees Committee shall transmit to the Deans, Directors and the Chairs of the Divisions, centers, colleges and departments, invitations for submission to the committee of names of persons to be considered for honorary degrees. A list of previous recipients is to be attached to the call for nominations. At least one-half of those presented as candidates for honorary degrees should have some connection with the University system, the City or the State. The Committee shall present its report and recommendation at a meeting of the University Faculty or Faculty Senate in accordance with the provisions of 1.04(8). A two-thirds affirmative vote of those present and voting at the Faculty meeting or Faculty Senate meeting shall be required to nominate a candidate for an Honorary Degree.
   2. Considers and recommends candidates to be honored on the Ernest Spaights Plaza marker. During the fall semester, the Chair of the Honorary Degrees Committee shall issue to the UWM community a call for submission to the Committee the names of persons to be considered for nominations. The Committee shall meet in the spring semester to select candidates for recommendation to the Chancellor.
   3. Considers and recommends, in consultation with the University Committee, candidates for a citation for distinguished service or significant contributions to UWM. The award is given by the Chancellor.

Meetings:

The UWM Honorary Degrees Committee had a productive AY 2025-26. The committee met twice (October 2025 and April 2026). The following are highlights of the committee’s accomplishments.

In October 2025, the committee discussed nominations for the 2025 UWM Honorary Degrees. Two nominations were received. All submissions met the criteria in SAAP 1-12 Honorary Degrees and Criteria and were reviewed by the committee. After discussion, the committee recommended two nominees and shared them with the Chancellor for recommendation to the Board of Regents.

The committee reviewed the Spaights Plaza Award Criteria and Call for Nominations, made revisions, and approved them. 

In April 2026, the Honorary Degrees Committee reviewed the materials of three nominees for the 2026 Ernest Spaights Plaza Award. All three candidates met the criteria and the committee recommended them for the Award.