Honorary awards

Tommy Evans, National Public Radio’s managing editor for editorial review, will deliver the 2025 address at the University-wide Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 16.

As managing editor, Evans is responsible for ensuring NPR maintains and strengthens its status as a trusted source of news and information for the American public. He and his staff of senior editors give all NPR news content a final editorial review before it goes on air or online, working to showcase NPR’s nuanced approach to journalism as rigorous and wide-ranging in its subject matter.

Prior to NPR, Evans was CNN’s vice president of international newsgathering and London bureau chief, overseeing investigative and enterprise newsgathering outside the United States and Canada. He was responsible for all CNN output from Europe, the Middle East and Africa and oversaw all CNN bureaus in these regions, as well as special projects out of Asia Pacific. Evans led CNN’s coverage of several major news events of the recent years, including the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, the numerous terror attacks across Europe, the war in Ukraine, the European refugee crisis and the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

As a double major, Evans earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and studio arts from Rochester. He went on to receive a master’s degree in international politics from London’s School for Oriental and African Studies.

Young-Kee Kim is interim director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the country’s only national lab dedicated to high-energy physics. She holds a primary academic appointment at the University of Chicago, where she serves as the Albert A. Michelson Distinguished Service Professor of Physics.

Kim is a world leader in experimental particle physics. In 2000, she was named one of “20 Young Scientists to Watch” by Discover magazine for her precision measurement of the mass of the subatomic particle “W vector boson,” which also earned her the 2005 Ho-Am Prize, Korea’s top science award.

Kim grew up in a small village in Korea and early on developed a passion for physics and mathematics. In 1986, she left Korea for the United States, where she earned a PhD in physics at Rochester in 1990.

Before joining Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Kim served as co-spokesperson and scientific leader for the Collider Detector at Fermilab, a premier particle physics experiment with the Tevatron, the world’s largest proton-antiproton collider. This project involved more than 600 physicists from around the world.

She is the outgoing 2024 president of the American Physical Society, and in 2010 received the Rochester Distinguished Scholar Award.

Lee Koonce was a transformative leader of the Gateways Music Festival. Building upon the founder’s vision of a home for classical musicians of African descent, he developed Gateways into an institution of national significance that has empowered Black classical musicians and increased their visibility. He was appointed president and artistic director of Gateways in 2016, and in 2024 stepped down from this role to serve the organization as senior advisor.

Under Koonce’s leadership, Gateways increased both the scope and frequency of its activities to include concerts and residencies beyond Rochester, such as a two-city festival that included engagements in New York City, culminating in the Gateways Festival Orchestra’s sold-out Carnegie Hall debut in April 2022. Koonce was also instrumental in growing Gateways’ institutional capacity through effective board development, ensuring robust fiscal health, and expanding the staff to include new roles in development and operations.

Koonce has held leadership roles as executive director of Ballet Hispanico and Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City; executive director of Sherwood Conservatory of Music in Chicago; and director of community relations for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He received a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Literature from Oberlin College, and a master of music degree in piano performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music.

Alexander and Lucy Levitan generously established the Levitan Family Endowed Scholarship at the School of Medicine and Dentistry in 2006 to support international students’ medical education, and in 2018 established the Alexander and Lucy Levitan Endowment for Medical Student Research Fellowships to provide support for SMD medical students to participate in national or international year-out experiences. In further support of the Levitan Family Endowed Scholarship, they created the Levitan International Scholars Special Needs FY25-FY29 Term Endowment Fund in 2024, to cover expenses not typically considered traditional financial aid but which are necessary for Levitan Scholars and former Levitan Scholars to complete their training. The Levitan Endowed Scholarship covers the full financial need, including tuition and living expenses for one member of each entering MD class.  Their goal has been to support international students who otherwise may be unable to attend medical school because they are ineligible for most financial aid.

Alexander is a physician, entrepreneur, author, and president of the Minneapolis real estate and financial management company A&L Management Co., which he co-owns with Lucy. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Cornell University and his medical degree from the School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1963. He completed his internship at Vanderbilt University Hospital and his residency at the Harvard Medical Unit at Boston City Hospital. From 1965 to 1967, Alexander served as a lieutenant commander of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps while working as a clinical associate for the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.   A fellow in the American College of Physicians as well as the Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and he is also a fellow and past president of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and past president of the American Board of Medical Hypnosis.

Lucy graduated from Vanderbilt Peabody College—Vanderbilt University’s education school— with a degree in English, mathematics, and secondary education. She began her professional life as a high school mathematics and English teacher. She then became a computer programmer and software writer and later worked as a manager in Alexander’s medical practice before earning a commercial real estate license when she and her husband launched their company.

Their daughter, Karen, is a member of the Class of 1996.

José Scheinkman is the Charles and Lynn Zhang Professor of Economics at Columbia University, the Theodore Wells ‘29 Professor of Economics (emeritus) at Princeton University, and research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

He is a leading scholar in dynamic optimization theory, optimal growth theory and nonlinear dynamics with its applications in economics and finance. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and fellow of the American Finance Association, his current research is on financial economics with emphasis on climate finance and asset-price bubbles. He was born in Rio de Janeiro and participates actively on debates concerning economic and social policy in Brazil.

Previously, Scheinkman was the Alvin H. Baum Distinguished Service Professor and chair of the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago; Blaise Pascal Research Professor (France), Visiting Professor at Collège de France, and vice president in the Financial Strategies Group of Goldman Sachs.

He was a full-time graduate student in the Department of Economics at Rochester between September 1970 and May 1973, and then received a master’s degree and a PhD degree in economics.

A member of the University’s faculty since 1971, Professor Emeritus Peter Shrager has enjoyed a distinguished career marked by inspiring teaching and mentorship, and an unwavering commitment to student success. Shrager brought clarity, depth, and humanity to the fields of physiology and neuroscience. Colleagues and former students and trainees acknowledge not only his brilliance in the classroom, but for the compassion he extended to his students. In recognition of his extraordinary legacy, the Department of Neuroscience established an annual award in his name, honoring the faculty member with the most outstanding record of service.

Samantha Daley represents the highest standard of graduate teaching, rooted in intellectual rigor, compassion, and a deep commitment to student growth. She seamlessly supports and mentors students in multiple disciplines and holds appointments across three program areas at the Warner School of Education and Human Development: teaching & curriculum, counseling & human development, and education policy. Beyond the classroom, Daley creates spaces of belonging and encouragement. Her weekly dissertation meetings provide doctoral students with both practical guidance and emotional support during one of the most challenging phases of their academic journeys.

Amanda Larracuente, professor of biology in the School of Arts & Sciences, inspires her students through innovative teaching, a deep commitment to student success, and an unwavering dedication to mentoring. Larracuente developed curriculum in applied genomics that fosters an engaging learning environment and empowers students to explore the complex intersection of biology, statistics, and computer science. Through hands-on laboratories and real-world problem-solving, she creates a supportive classroom environment that encourages critical thinking and collaboration.

Jeff Campbell, a distinguished member of the Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media faculty in the Eastman School of Music, for more than 30 years has advanced the art of jazz through a blend of traditional teaching techniques and contemporary exploration. Campbell fosters an environment that encourages creativity, collaboration, and a deep appreciation for jazz as a vibrant and evolving art form. As department chair, he has presided over recent curricular changes designed to ensure student success in the professional world.

Sarah Marlowe, assistant professor of music theory in the Eastman School of Music, demonstrates a passion for music theory and a skill in teaching its complexities that have inspired many undergraduate and graduate students, fostering not only their understanding but also their love for the subject.

She has created a dynamic learning environment that challenges students to think critically and embrace creativity, while helping students learn to apply theoretical concepts in their musical practices. Her mentorship extends beyond the classroom, as she actively supports and guides students in their performance endeavors, helping them develop their own unique voices within the field of music.

Chris Marshall, assistant professor of physics in the School of Arts & Sciences, is an exceptional educator who embodies the spirit of inquiry, dedication, and mentorship in the field of physics. Through innovative teaching methods, engaging curriculum design, and an inspiring approach to problem-solving, Marshall has transformed the classroom into a vibrant space for learning and discovery. His passion for physics is matched only by his commitment to student success, guiding countless learners on their academic journeys and encouraging them to explore the boundaries of scientific knowledge.

Sobhit Singh, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, inspires his students with unwavering commitment and a passion for fostering an engaging learning environment. In each of his courses, he integrates his expertise in quantum materials research into his courses, and bridges the gap between foundational concepts and modern applications.

Through clarity in his teaching methods, Singh’s ability to work compassionately through challenges that students find with course material, and his concrete support for their futures, he has significantly enriched lives of his students.