Commencement 2006 Honorary Degree Recipients

Five outstanding individuals will receive honorary degrees at the University of Vermont’s 202nd Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 21. Recognized for their achievements and service to the university, the State of Vermont, the nation, and international affairs are Commencement speaker Gustavo Esteva, Graham Stiles Newell, Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam, Barbara W. Snelling, and Hubert “Hub” W. Vogelmann.

After beginning his career working for large corporations, Gustavo Esteva worked in economic development for the Mexican government, playing a key role in shaping the country’s agricultural and rural development policies. Now, as an unaffiliated intellectual living in a small Indian village in Oaxaca, Mexico, Esteva lectures worldwide and writes regularly for popular and academic audiences, adding to an oeuvre that comprises more than 30 books and hundreds of articles in fields including development studies, economics, anthropology, philosophy and education. Esteva has substantial ties with UVM: He has taught students in Burlington and Mexico, he collaborates on research with several faculty, and his pioneering work in intercultural communication and post-development studies has offered much inspiration to UVM’s international education program in Oaxaca.

 

“Vermont treasure” Graham Stiles Newell has brought the classics to life for generations of college and high school students as a teacher of both history and Latin. Newell earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Chicago and began his career in 1938 at the St. Johnsbury Academy. After a 35-year break to serve as history professor at Lyndon State College, Newell returned to the St. Johnsbury Academy in 1982 where he still gives life to lessons in Latin grammar. He has also held seats in the Vermont House and Senate for nearly 30 years. Newell is known as a “walking encyclopedia” of town, state, and world history. He is the 2003 recipient of the Victor R. Swenson Humanities Educator Award.

 

 

As a senior at Vassar College, Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam conceived of a program subsequently detailed in her thesis, “A Proposal for a Student Conservation Corps,” that would provide opportunities for young people to learn about environmental conservation and put their knowledge to work in a volunteer setting. In 1957, after two years of work with a broad coalition of supporter and allies, Putnam founded the Student Conservation Association, an organization based on those principles, which has become the largest conservation service program in America. Since then she has distinguished herself as a leader in conservation and youth development and has been recognized with multiple awards and honors. Today, living in Shaftsbury, Vermont, she continues to work on the SCA’s behalf as an ambassador-at-large while also working with other local and national conservation organizations.

 

Barbara W. Snelling is well known for her leadership in both the public and private sectors as lieutenant governor of the State of Vermont and as founder and president of the institutional advancement consulting firm, Snelling, Kolb & Kuhnle, Inc. Following the 1991 death of her husband, Richard A. Snelling, during his term as governor, Barbara Snelling served two terms as lieutenant governor and ran for governor in 1996, but was forced to withdraw due to health reasons. Her courageous comeback to politics as a Vermont state senator, 1997 to 2002, has served as a symbol of inspiration and strength throughout the state. Snelling, who was vice president of Development & External Affairs at UVM from 1974 to 1982, has been honored in the past as the Vermont Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year.

As a University of Vermont faculty member and a Vermont citizen, Hubert “Hub” W. Vogelmann has made a profound impact on UVM, the state, and the region. Professor emeritus of botany, Vogelmann’s career at the University began as an instructor in 1955. Over the next 36 years as a member of the UVM faculty, Vogelmann’s achievements would include pioneering research on acid rain, establishing UVM’s Field Naturalist Program, and inspiring scores of students. Through his service on numerous environmental boards and his role as a principal force behind the creation of Vermont’s Act 250, a landmark development and land use law, Vogelmann’s leadership has helped establish Vermont as an exemplar in balancing land conservation and responsible development.

Last modified April 30 2006 03:05 PM