BY: BROOKE JOHNPIER, STAFF WRITER
Fr. Kevin Mullen, O.F.M, will receive an honorary doctorate at St. Bonaventure University’s 164th commencement ceremony on May 12th. He will receive this award due to his accomplishments as a Franciscan leader.
Mullen will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters, an honorary degree that is awarded to someone who has distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic efforts.
Mullen held the position of president at Siena College for seven years and worked as the provincial minister of Holy Name Providence for nine years. When he became provincial minister in 2014, he joined Bonaventure’s board of trustees and became an influential member. He will finish his term as a member of the trustees at the end of March.
To receive an honorary degree, nominations are sent to the president of the university who is awarding the degree. This normally begins in the fall semester. Oftentimes, the recipient is a distinguished alumni who is being awarded the degree for their extraordinary career and life, but not always.
“At the executive level, beginning in the fall semester, we ask people to put forward to the president candidates for honorary degrees,” said Tom Missel, chief communications officer.
The keynote speaker at the 164th commencement was announced as Ed Bastian, who is a native of Poughkeepsie, NY, a graduate from 1979.
Bastain joined Delta in 1998 and was promoted to chief financial officer in 2005. Two years later, he was appointed as company president. Before his time at Delta, he held senior financial positions at Frito-Lay International and Pepsi-Cola International.
In 2016, Bastain became the CEO of Delta Airlines where he aimed to use the values he learned at Bonaventure to propel the airline into a trusted brand and leader of the airline industry. Bastain has been ranked by Fortune magazine as one of the world’s top 50 leaders and has been awarded numerous honors including 2023 Chief Executive of the Year.
He received an honorary degree from St. Bonaventure in 2008, according to the Bonaventure website.
Jeff Gingerich, university president, asked Bastian to speak at the commencement and Bastain accepted.
“I’ve had the opportunity to be with Ed three times since becoming president, including once when he spoke last fall at a dinner honoring him in New York,” said Gingerich. “To listen to a person of his stature in the business world so committed to leadership driven by the values we embrace was really inspirational.”
