USU Seeks Nominations for 2026 Honorary Degrees, Commencement Speaker

LOGAN, Utah — Utah State University is seeking nominations for the institution’s 2026 honorary degree recipients and commencement speaker. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community leaders are invited to nominate for these recognitions.

Nominees should be individuals who have demonstrated sustained activity of uncommon merit, who have achieved a prominent career nationally or internationally, or who have provided significant service beyond the typical expectations of their profession.

The Honorary Degree Nomination and the Commencement Speaker Nomination are simple online forms. Nominations are due at noon Nov. 14.

The Screening Committee consists of five members of the Board of Trustees — including the Alumni Council president and the USU Student Association president — along with three faculty members, the vice president of University Advancement, and a representative from the Provost’s Office.

This committee’s responsibility is to review all nominations and forward them to the Board of Trustees for final approval. The Board of Trustees Honorary Degrees, Awards and Recognition Committee is chaired by Trustee Dave Petersen and is responsible for presenting nominations for final approval in January.

Honorary degree recipients for the 2025 commencement included M. William “Willy” Lensch, a USU alumnus and Harvard associate provost for research, and Kem C. Gardner, Utah philanthropist. A historical list of honorary degree recipients and commencement speakers can be found on the USU Board of Trustees webpage.