This week, a distinguished group of influential figures will be conferred honorary degrees at Northeastern University’s 115^th commencement.

Sir Lucian Grainge CBE, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group and a Northeastern University trustee, Myechia Minter-Jordan, president and CEO of the Dimock Center, and Diana Natalicio, president of the University of Texas at El Paso, will receive honorary degrees at Northeastern’s undergraduate commencement ceremony on Friday, May 5 at TD Garden in Boston.

“These visionary leaders have displayed passion, commitment, and entrepreneurial spirit at the forefront of their fields,” said Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun. “We look forward to welcoming them into the Northeastern family, to celebrating their achievements, and to sharing their stories of success with our graduates.”

Northeastern announced in March that Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international correspondent and anchor of the network’s flagship global affairs program Amanpour, would deliver the commencement address at the undergraduate ceremony. She will also receive a Doctor of Media honorary degree.

The university also announced in April that Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal, co-founders and co-CEOs of Warby Parker, would deliver the graduate ceremony commencement address and receive Doctor of Entrepreneurship honorary degrees.

 

 SIR LUCIAN GRAINGE CBE

Honorary degree: Doctor of Global Commerce

Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group and a Northeastern University trustee and parent, has been a superstar in transforming a music industry in decline and returning it to growth.

A native of London, Grainge has spent his entire career in the music industry and has signed and worked with worldwide stars, including Jay Z, Katy Perry, the Rolling Stones, U2, and the late Amy Winehouse. He has pioneered new approaches to engage and develop the world’s most successful music artists, as well as innovative business models with technology and media partners worldwide.

As UMG’s chairman and CEO since 2011, Grainge has increased the company’s profitability and strengthened its position as a global leader in music. He topped Billboard’s “Power 100” as the most powerful executive in the music business in 2016, 2015, and 2013.

In 2016, Grainge was bestowed with a knighthood by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his accomplishments.

 

MYECHIA MINTER-JORDAN

Honorary degree: Doctor of Public Service

Minter-Jordan’s visionary leadership of the Dimock Center, which serves more than 17,000 people annually in Roxbury and surrounding Boston neighborhoods, has transformed it into a national model for comprehensive health and human services.

Dr. Minter-Jordan joined the center as chief medical officer in 2007 and was named president and CEO in 2013. During her tenure, she has redefined community healthcare by emphasizing the integration of clinical and behavioral health practices that treat people’s health problems holistically, and not as a series of isolated conditions.

Toward that end, Dr. Minter-Jordan has spearheaded numerous collaborations with world-class academic hospitals and healthcare institutions. Under her leadership, the center’s wide-angle health focus has led to the creation of high-impact educational programs for children and adults.

In addition to her medical degree from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Dr. Minter-Jordan earned her bachelor’s degree from Brown University and an MBA in health services from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.

 

DIANA NATALICIO

Honorary degree: Doctor of Humane Letters

As president of the University of Texas at El Paso, Natalicio’s commitment to provide residents of the Paso del Norte region access to outstanding higher education has helped make UTEP a national success story.

During Natalicio’s 29-year tenure, UTEP’s enrollment has grown by more than 50 percent, becoming more reflective of the region’s demographics. She has also significantly expanded UTEP’s research enterprise and led a transformative campus infrastructure expansion.

Time named her to its 2016 list of the world’s 100 most influential people. She also was awarded the Orden Mexicana del Águila Azteca, the highest recognition that Mexico can bestow on foreign nationals. Additionally, President George H. W. Bush named her to the Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, and President Bill Clinton appointed her to the National Science Board.

Natalicio earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Louis University, and her master’s degree in Portuguese and doctorate in linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin.