Chancellor Motley Receives Honorary Degree from Northeastern University
(Boston – April 30, 2009) – University of Massachusetts Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley was presented with a degree of doctor of humane letters, honoris causa, at the 2009 Northeastern University commencement ceremony on May 1. The award recognizes his service to the field of higher education over the past 25 years.
"Keith Motley is an outstanding alumnus of Northeastern with an exemplary record of service in higher education and to the City of Boston," said Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern University. "The UMass community is fortunate to have a leader of Chancellor Motley's caliber, and we are proud to recognize his accomplishments with this honorary degree."
Chancellor Motley served as the dean of students at Northeastern for more than 10 years and holds bachelor’s and master’s degree from the university. While at Northeaster he played an important role in helping to shape the university’s approach to educating non-traditional students and students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
“It is a great honor for me to receive this degree from a university that has helped to prepare me for a successful career in higher education,” said Chancellor Motley. “I thank President Aoun and all of Northeastern University for this opportunity and special recognition.”
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh’s Upward Bound program, Chancellor Motley has championed the cause of making excellence-driven education available to the thousands of aspiring youth in the region. A founder of the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School and chair emeritus of the school’s board of trustees, Chancellor Motley serves on the board of trustees of Newbury College in Brookline. He is the founder and education chair of Concerned Black Men of Massachusetts, Inc., and the Paul Robeson Institute for Positive Self-Development. Chancellor Motley also chairs the Boston Committee Initiative’s “Do the Write Thing Challenge” of the National Campaign to Stop Violence. He is a member of Iota Phi Theta fraternity and Sigma Pi Phi fraternity Beta Beta Boulé.
About UMass Boston
With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex urban issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston’s only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s seven colleges and graduate schools serve more than 14,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu.