Honorary degree recipients Patricia D. Horoho, Fred N. Eshelman and Thomas Forrest Kelly celebrate with CNN news anchor Brooke Baldwin (’01) and Chancellor Carol L. Folt prior to the Spring Commencement ceremony at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on May 14, 2017. (Melanie Busbee/UNC-Chapel Hill).

The Honorary Degrees and Special Awards Committee of the Faculty considers nominations from the faculty for five major awards each year:

Distinguished Alumna and Alumnus Awards, presented each fall on University Day
O. Max Gardner Award (UNC System-wide award), presented by Board of Governors
Honorary Degrees, awarded at Commencement each May
Thomas Jefferson Award, presented at Faculty Council in September
Edward Kidder Graham Award, presented each fall on University Day

You will find information about each award, including instructions on submitting nominations and a list of past winners, at the links below.

Nomination deadlines

The deadlines for receiving nominations for these awards are as follows:

Edward Kidder Graham Award (for 2020): October 21, 2019
Distinguished Alumna/Alumnus Awards (for 2020): September 23, 2019
O. Max Gardner Award (for 2020): Local campus deadline: November 25, 2019
Honorary Degrees (for 2021): February 17, 2020
Thomas Jefferson Award (for 2020): March 23, 2020

HDA Committee secure area login

Members of the HDA Committee may access secure materials and documents related to committee work and award nominations through Sakai (Onyen login required).

AWARDS

Nomination deadlines

HDA Committee secure area login