Madison Reporter

Donna E. Shalala and Jim Sensenbrenner will be awarded honorary degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison at its spring commencement. The UW–Madison Committee on Honorary Degrees selects honorees based on outstanding contributions to humanity and adherence to the Wisconsin Idea, which promotes the impact of education beyond the classroom.

Shalala, a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and UW–Madison Chancellor, and Sensenbrenner, a long-serving U.S. Representative from Wisconsin, are the latest recipients of this prestigious recognition. "It is a great privilege to be able to honor Dr. Shalala and former Rep. Sensenbrenner with one of the highest commendations the Wisconsin Board of Regents and this university can confer," says Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. "Both are extraordinarily accomplished individuals whose distinguished careers embody the highest ideals of public service."

The honors will be presented at the ceremony for doctoral, MFA, and medical professional degree candidates on May 9 at the Kohl Center. Donna Shalala made significant strides in health policy and was a prominent advocate for UW Athletics during her tenure as chancellor from 1988 to 1993. Jim Sensenbrenner's extensive legislative career includes leadership in civil liberties issues and reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. Former Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan highlights Sensenbrenner's impact, stating, “He made an indelible mark on our legislative branch, improved our nation’s laws in a variety of areas and consistently fought with character, integrity and passion on behalf of the people of Wisconsin.”

The event highlights Shalala and Sensenbrenner's enduring legacies in public service and their impact on campus and beyond.