黑料网

Dr. Bridget Long

August 23, 2025, at Boston Commencement

Bridget Terry Long is a聽Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor and the Saris Professor of Education and Economics at the (HGSE). She is a Research Associate of the 聽(NBER) and has been elected to the聽, the聽, and the .聽Long is an economist whose work focuses on improving educational opportunities and student success with a focus on the transition to higher education and beyond.聽Her work has provided evidence on financial aid policies, postsecondary remedial education, and聽college support programs.聽 She has also developed and evaluated interventions that help students complete financial aid forms, save for college, and persist in higher education.

Long served as Dean of HGSE聽from 2018 to 2024 and led the school through a major redesign of their master鈥檚 program, the COVID pandemic, and the creation of its first online master鈥檚 degree. She also substantially increased student financial aid through a successful fundraising initiative, and she expanded HGSE鈥檚 external engagement with practitioners, leaders, and communities around the world. She served as Academic Dean from 2013 to 2017 and Faculty Director of the Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs from 2010 to 2013.聽

Long is the Chair of the Board of Directors for聽, a founding Board Member of聽, and a member of the Board for the聽. She is co-Chair of the , sponsored by the American Academy. During the Obama administration, she served as Chair of聽, the advisory panel of the聽聽at the U.S. Department of Education.聽 She has testified numerous times before U.S. Senate Committees and state governmental bodies,聽and she was聽a Visiting Fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.聽

Long has won numerous competitive research grants, including from including from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Science Foundation (NSF). She was awarded the聽Peter H. Rossi Award for Contributions to the Theory or Practice of Program Evaluation from聽, the Spencer Foundation Mentor Award, and聽the Robert P. Huff Golden Quill Award for excellence in research and published works on student financial assistance. Long earned her Ph.D. and M.A. from the Harvard University Department of Economics and her A.B. from Princeton University in Economics with a Certificate in Afro-American Studies.聽

Barbara Humpton

July 19, 2025, at Seattle Commencement
Lives in: Reston, VA

Barbara Humpton is President and CEO of Siemens Corporation, where she guides the company鈥檚 strategy and engagement in serving the company鈥檚 largest market. Siemens USA employs approximately 45,000 employees in 50 states and Puerto Rico and generated $21.1 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2024. She views the true purpose of technology as expanding what鈥檚 humanly possible. She鈥檚 also passionate about diversity, STEM education, and what she calls a work life blend that honors her priorities, both at Siemens and as a grandmother.

Most recently, Humpton served as president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. (SGT), a leading integrator of Siemens鈥� products and services for federal government agencies and departments. In this role, Humpton also served as an officer/director member of SGT鈥檚 board of directors.

Prior to joining Siemens in 2011, Humpton served as a vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she was responsible for program performance and new business development for technology consulting in the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. Earlier, Humpton was a vice president at Lockheed Martin Corporation with responsibility for Biometrics Programs, Border and Transportation Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection, including such critical programs as the FBI鈥檚 Next Generation Identification and the TSA鈥檚 Transportation Workers鈥� Identification Credential.

Humpton is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in mathematics. She is Chairman of the Siemens Corporation Board, the Siemens Foundation and of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA). She serves on the board of directors of the Triumph Group, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), Consumer Technology Association Board of Industry Leaders, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and Economic Club of Washington, D.C. She resides in Reston, Virginia, with her husband David.

David Simmons

April 26, 2025, at Las Vegas Commencement
Lives in: Salt Lake City, UT

With a distinguished 40-year career spanning media, communications, and travel management, David Simmons has built and led transformative organizations that have reshaped their industries.

Previously, as CEO of Simmons Media Group, he expanded the company鈥檚 influence in radio broadcasting and outdoor advertising. As chairman and CEO of Keystone Communications, he led its evolution into a global satellite communications firm. Currently, he oversees his private investment firm, leveraging his expertise to drive strategic growth and innovation, and is also the co-chairman of M-Plus Global Events, a premier travel management company.

Mr. Simmons' impact extends beyond business into economic development and education. He served for 18 years on the Western Governors University Board of Trustees (2006鈥�2024), where he played a key role in advancing the institution鈥檚 mission of accessible, high-quality education. He served for nearly two decades on the board of trustees of Westminster University and was chairman of the Utah State Board of Business and Economic Development, the Utah Sports Commission, Discovery Gateway Children鈥檚 Museum, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Olene Walker Institute of Public Policy at Weber State University.

Mr. Simmons earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Melinda, and their five children, and has a love for American history and international perspectives.

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP

March 8, 2025, at Dallas Commencement
Lives in: Alexandria, VA

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., is a lawyer, author, board member, public speaker, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).聽聽With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally.

As a global leader on the future of employment, culture, and leadership, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers, and the workplace. Recognized as one of the 鈥�300 Most Influential Executives in Corporate America鈥� for 2024 by Savoy Magazine and one of the 鈥淢ost Influential People Shaping Public Policy鈥� in our nation鈥檚 capital by Washingtonian Magazine, Mr. Taylor is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors the weekly USA Today column, 鈥淎sk HR.鈥�

Mr. Taylor鈥檚 career spans more than 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive, and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit spaces.

Dr. Charles Sorenson

August 17, 2024, at Salt Lake City Commencement
Lives in: Salt Lake City, UT

Dr. Charles Sorenson is the Founding Director of the Intermountain Healthcare Leadership Institute where he provides executive coaching to senior healthcare leaders around the United States. He is also President and CEO Emeritus of Intermountain Healthcare having served as CEO from 2009 to 2016. Prior to this, Sorenson acted as chief operating officer for 11 years and worked for decades as a urologic surgeon at the Utah-based, nonprofit hospital system鈥攃ontinuing to perform urologic cancer surgery even after moving into the C-suite.聽

In addition to his passion for healthcare, Dr. Sorenson has been committed to high quality, affordable education as a pathway to opportunity.聽 He served on 黑料网鈥檚 Board of Trustees from 2015 to 2023, spending his final four years as Chair of the Board. Dr. Sorenson earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Utah and a Doctor of Medicine from Weill Cornell Medical College at Cornell University. He is a board-certified urologic surgeon, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and Adjunct Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah. 聽

Ted Mitchell

March 16, 2024, at Anaheim Commencement
Lives in: Washington, DC

On March 16, 2024, we awarded Ted Mitchell an honorary degree at our Anaheim Commencement ceremony. Ted has been at the helm of the American Council on Education (ACE) since September 2017, where he serves as , overseeing the nation's colleges and universities. Working closely with Congress, the executive branch, and the private sector, he鈥檚 advanced policies and practices that benefit postsecondary learners. Ted has dedicated his career to enhancing access to quality education and improving student outcomes, including his tenure as U.S. under secretary of education during the Obama administration, where he spearheaded initiatives such as reinstating Pell Grants for incarcerated adults and creating the College Scorecard.聽

Before his role at ACE, Mitchell held various leadership positions in higher education, serving as president of Occidental College, vice chancellor and dean at the UCLA, and professor at Dartmouth College. Additionally, Mitchell has made significant contributions to K鈥�12 education as the CEO of the NewSchools Venture Fund and president of the California State Board of Education. Throughout his career, Mitchell has advocated for an educational system that prioritizes excellence, equity, and social justice. He holds bachelor's, master's, and PhD degrees from Stanford University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and currently sits on the boards of several prominent educational organizations.

黑料网 is thrilled to recognize Ted鈥檚 tireless efforts to advance 黑料网鈥檚 mission of creating pathways to opportunity for students. We present Ted Mitchell with an honorary degree and add his name to the list of passionate individuals reinvigorating higher education and renewing its promise to all students.