Each year the University awards honorary degrees to individuals nominated for outstanding achievement in their fields, innovative and creative achievements, humanitarian efforts and more. Recipients are determined by a selection committee of the University Senate and announced in the spring.
Academic Procession
Commencement begins with a ceremonial procession of faculty, administrators, and distinguished guests entering in full academic regalia, symbolizing Syracuse University's scholarly heritage and the formal conferring of degrees. This tradition represents the passage of knowledge from one generation to the next and marks the graduates' entry into our community of scholars.
Honorary Degree Recipients
Syracuse University Scholars
To be named a Syracuse University Scholar is the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows. Scholars are selected based on criteria that includes coursework and academic achievement, independent research and creative work, evidence of intellectual growth or innovation in their disciplinary field, a personal statement and faculty letters of recommendation.
Class Marshals
Two Syracuse University seniors are selected as all-University representatives for the Class of 2026 and have unique opportunities throughout their senior year to engage with various University stakeholders, help select their Commencement speaker, and discuss their student experience and offer constructive suggestions with senior administrators. They are selected by a search committee, composed of Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience staff, using criteria based upon scholarship, academic honors, student organization involvement, campus and community service, and exhibited school spirit.
For more information on the Class of 2026 class marshals, see the SU News press release.
Chidera Olalere (Lagos, Nigeria)
College of Arts & Sciences
Majors: Biochemistry | Forensic Science
Minor: Economics
Silke Pion (Davis, CA)
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs | Martin J. Whitman School of Management
Majors: Political Science | Finance; Business Analytics
Student Marshals
Marshals represent each of the University’s schools and colleges. They are selected for their distinguished achievement in scholarship, academic honors, student organization involvement, leadership, and collegiality, as well as campus and community engagement and service. School and college marshals have many roles within the Orange community and participate in significant University events including Fall New Student Convocation, Spring New Student Convocation and leading the procession of graduates from their respective school or college into the Commencement ceremony.
College of Arts & Sciences
Lexie Lane Lazarus (Tenafly, NJ)
College of Arts & Sciences
Major: Human Development & Family Science
Minor: Education Studies
Anna Elizabeth Meehan (Alexandria, MN)
College of Arts & Sciences
Majors: Music History and Cultures | Russian Literature, Language and Culture | International Relations
Jessica Anne Singh (Garnerville, NY)
College of Arts & Sciences
Majors: Biochemistry | Communication Sciences & Disorders
School of Architecture
Ailed Torres Espinosa (Mexico City and Houston, TX)
School of Architecture
Major: Architecture
Minors: French | Francophone Studies
A.J. Laucks (Fleetwood, PA)
School of Architecture
Major: Architecture
Minor: Psychology
School of Education
Bobby Marie Battle (Belle Mead, NJ)
School of Education
Major: Selected Studies in Education
Zachary Setzkorn (Overland Park, KS)
School of Education | Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Majors: Social Studies Education | History; Geography
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Thalia Lee (Pittsburgh, PA)
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Minor: Mathematics
Sadie Shaula Meyer (Cleveland, OH)
College of Engineering and Computer Science | College of Arts & Sciences
Majors: Biomedical Engineering | Mathematics
Minor: Chemistry
David B. Falk College of Sport
Braeden Cheverie-Leonard (Andover, MA)
David B. Falk College of Sport
Major: Sport Management
Minor: Psychology
Rylie DiMaio (Wayne, PA)
David B. Falk College of Sport
Major: Health and Exercise Science
Minor: Psychology
Graduate School
Not yet announced
School of Information Studies
Alexandra Miller-Thomas (West Bloomfield, MI)
School of Information Studies
Major: Applied Data Analytics
Minors: Art History | Marketing
Benjamin Perle (Manalapan, NJ)
School of Information Studies
Major: Applied Data Analytics
Minor: Business
College of Law
Emery P. Bielecki (Buffalo, NY)
College of Law
Major: Law
Martin J. Whitman School of Management
Heath Megnin (Denver, CO)
Martin J. Whitman School of Management | S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Majors: Finance; Business Analytics | Television, Radio and Film
Katherine Noelle Rogers (Ocean, NJ)
Martin J. Whitman School of Management | College of Arts & Sciences
Majors: Business Analytics | Biology
Minor: Public Health
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Jack Higgins (Middletown, CT)
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Majors: International Relations | Public Administration
College of Professional Studies
Kristopher Plantz (Camillus, NY)
College of Professional Studies
Major: Computer Programming
S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Dylan Ava Kujawski (Rye, New York)
Major: Public Relations
Minor: Psychology
Steven Labovitch (Oak Hill, VA)
Major: Television, Radio and Film
Minor: Environmental Policy
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Kate O’Leary (Marcellus, NY)
College of Visual and Performing Arts | School of Education
Major: Music Education
Charlie Thomas (Sacramento, CA)
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Major: Performance