Northwestern will award four honorary degrees during its 168th Annual Commencement ceremony on Sunday at the United Center. Through these honors, NU is recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts and sciences.
This year’s recipients are commencement speaker and actress Sarah Jessica Parker, acclaimed energy researcher Michael Graetzel, Tony and Grammy Award-winning actress and singer Heather Headley and CEO and president of the Association of American Medical Colleges David Skorton.
Here’s what you should know about each recipient:
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker will deliver the Class of 2026 commencement address and receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree for her accomplishments in film and television.
Throughout her career, Parker has made a name for herself as a multitalented actor, producer and businesswoman. She is best known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw in the acclaimed TV series “Sex and the City.” Parker has won two Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards for her acting and producing.
As someone who has dedicated her life to the arts, making her Broadway debut at age 11, Parker was named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2022.” More recently, Parker appeared on Broadway in Neil Simon’s comedy “Plaza Suite,” and was an executive producer for the 2025 documentary “The Librarians.”
Michael Graetzel
A pioneer in the world of science for his research on colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals and their use for solar energy conversion and storage, Michael Graetzel is set to receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
A current professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, Graetzel has received numerous awards for his work: the Balzan Prize, the Global Energy Prize, the Harvey Prize, the Millennium Technology Grand Prize and the Albert Einstein World Award of Science.
In the past, Graetzel has also held numerous positions across academic institutions, serving as a visiting professor at Cornell University and the National University of Singapore.
Heather Headley
Actress and singer Heather Headley will receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. A former NU student, Headley is best known for her Broadway performances as Nala in the original cast of “The Lion King,” and as the titular role in “Aida,” for which she won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Beyond her accomplishments onstage, Headley is also an acclaimed recording artist. She has released five studio albums, winning the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album in 2009.
Headley immigrated from Trinidad to the U.S. at age 15, later enrolling at NU in 1993 before deciding to drop out in 1996 to join the musical “Ragtime.” Currently, Headley stars in the Netflix series “Sweet Magnolias,” playing Helen Decatur.
David J. Skorton
David Skorton (Weinberg ’70, Feinberg ’74), is already a two-time NU graduate, first earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1970, then graduating from the Feinberg School of Medicine in 1974. After an extensive career in government, medicine and higher education, Skorton is set to receive his third NU degree: an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
Skorton served as president of the University of Iowa from 2003 to 2006, president of Cornell University from 2006 to 2015 and secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 2015 to 2019. Currently, he serves as the president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges.
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— The Class of 2026 Commencement will return to United Center June 14
— Northwestern announces Sarah Jessica Parker as 2026 commencement speaker
