2026 Honorary Doctoral Degree: Final Call for Nominations

Dear Colleagues:

In May, we emailed a request for nominations to award an exceptional individual connected with our campus an honorary doctoral degree from the State University of New York (SUNY). Once approved, it is anticipated that this individual will address our graduates during the 2026 commencement ceremony.

Honorary doctoral degrees recognize exceptional individuals whose contributions have made a lasting impact—whether locally or globally. These degrees honor leaders for their achievements, service, and influence in their fields. As an example, another SUNY institution, the Fashion Institute of Technology, has recognized David Yurman, Calvin Klein, and William Lauder.

This is the second and final call for nominations for the 2026 Honorary Doctoral Degree. We invite you to nominate individuals who have made significant contributions to their field, to society, or to the mission and values of Farmingdale State College. 

Please submit nominations via this Qualtrics nomination form before noon on Friday, August 29, 2025.

Feel free to contact any members of our committee, which include:

Tracy Callender
Michael Fraina
Christine Freaney
Mimi Johnson
Ken Lee
Lukas Miedreich (committee co-chair)
Michelle Miranda

Honorary degrees are a meaningful way to recognize outstanding achievement, leadership, service, or scholarship, and your input is invaluable to this process. Thank you in advance for taking the time to consider this opportunity.

Chris Maio
Vice President for Marketing & Communications
Committee Co-chair