RWU Media Room

Posted on: May 1, 2009; In: Community, On Campus, RWU School of Law

An accomplished U.S. Senator, an entrepreneurial Turkish educator and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico are some of the extraordinary professionals being honored during the 2009 Roger Williams University Commencement exercises.

Roger Williams University President Roy J. Nirschel will confer four honorary degrees during the University’s Commencement exercises Saturday, May 23, 2009 and three honorary degrees during the University’s Law School Commencement exercises Friday, May 22, 2009.

Joan Countryman, education innovator and author, will deliver the University Commencement address and receive an honorary doctor of education degree. During the Commencement ceremony, which will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the University’s main athletic field, RWU also will bestow nearly 1,000 academic degrees to students across disciplines.

Federico Hernández Denton, Chief Justice for the Supreme Court in Puerto Rico, will deliver the Law School Commencement address and receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. The other honorary degree recipients for the Law School are: Louise Durfee, attorney at law, and Jacob Hagopian, senior U.S. magistrate.

The honorary degree recipients recognized at the University Commencement and their degrees are:

Ibrahim Arikan

Ibrahim Arikan

Educator & Businessman
Doctor of Humane Letters

Ibrahim Arikan is a Turkish educator, entrepreneur and visionary. As chairman of the board for Arikani Holding, Arikan leads with the idea that businesses and employees should first add value to the societies in which they operate. The initial roots of Arikanli Holding date back to 1972, the year in which innovative education program, MEF Courses Inc., was established under the leadership of Arikan. Over the thirty years, Arikanli Holding has exceeded with enterprises in the fields of transportation, education, tourism, health care and construction to become firmly positioned in the center of a chain of investments that comprise 18 strong companies today.

Joan Countryman

Joan Countryman

Author & Educator
Doctor of Education
Joan Countryman is the former Head of Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island, a position she held for 12 years until her retirement in 2005. From August 2006 until March 2007 Joan Countryman was a consultant and Interim Head of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. From August 2007 until June 2008 Countryman led the Atlanta Girls’ School in Atlanta, Georgia. Previously, Countryman had served as Assistant Head for Academic Planning and Director of Studies at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia where she taught mathematics from 1970 to 1993.

Countryman is a member of the Board of Trustees of Sarah Lawrence College, a member of the Board of the Providence Journal Company, and of the Board of Trustees of the Paul Cuffee School, a public charter school in Providence. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College, a master’s from Yale University, and studied at the London School of Economics as a Fulbright Scholar.

Jerrold Lavine

Jerrold L. Lavine

Business leader & Public servant
Doctor of Business Management

An accomplished businessman, civic leader and philanthropist, Jerrold Lavine currently serves as chairman and CEO of the Freeman Group, a management and private investment firm. Additionally, he has successfully worked as chairman and CEO of two national distribution companies. In the 1990s, Lavine served in a number of positions—including Director of Administration, chairman of the state’s Solid Waste Management Corporation and inauguration chair—under R.I. Governor Bruce Sundlun. Lavine has served as a board member, past or present, at a number of organizations in the state, including Roger Williams University, Lifespan, Greater Providence YMCA, the R.I. Philharmonic, the R.I. Commodores and the Jewish Federation. He holds a bachelor of arts from Boston University.

Jack Reed

Jack Reed

U.S. Senator
Doctor of Public Service
Throughout his career in the United States Congress, Jack Reed has been an advocate for working-class families. A leader on defense, education and health care issues, Reed is a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and a former Army Ranger. In 1996, the people of Rhode Island elected Reed to succeed Claiborne Pell (D-RI) as Rhode Island’s 46th United States Senator. Prior to serving in the Senate, Reed was a three-term Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District. In addition to serving on the Armed Services Committee, Reed is currently a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and the Senate Appropriations Committee. Reed earned his bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a master of Public Policy degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a law degree from Harvard University Law School.

For additional information on the 2009 Commencement ceremonies or the honorary degree recipients, contact Kathleen Lowe in University Communications at (401) 254-5206. The events are closed to the public, but members of the media are welcome to attend with advance reservations only.