Four Honorands To Speak at Commencement

News of Note

The names of four distinguished honorary degree recipients were announced at Rally Day on Feb. 20

BY CAROLYN MCDANIEL

Published February 20, 2025

Four distinguished leaders in the arts, academia, health and wellness, social justice, and innovation will be awarded honorary degrees at Smith’s 147th Commencement on Sunday, May 18. In a tradition begun last year by President Sarah Willie-LeBreton, each honorand will offer a few words of wisdom and congratulations to the graduates.

Honorary degrees will be awarded in May to:

  • Danielle Allen, professor of political philosophy, public policy, and ethics at Harvard University and founder and chairperson of Partners In Democracy.
  • Evelyn M. Harris, vocal teacher, former member of the world-renowned a capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock, and a global performer for more than 50 years.
  • Admiral Rachel L. Levine, 17th assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accomplished physician, public health expert, and LGBTQ+ advocate.
  • Preeti Simran Sethi ’92, Emmy-award winning writer, academic, and mental health coach dedicated to advancing social, environmental, and personal change.

The Honorands and Their Accomplishments

Danielle Allen

Allen is James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University. She is also director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at the Harvard Kennedy School and director of the Democratic Knowledge Project-Learn, a research lab focused on civic education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Allen is a professor of political philosophy, ethics, and public policy, as well as a seasoned nonprofit leader, democracy advocate, tech ethicist, distinguished author, and mom. She is a contributing columnist at The Atlantic magazine and was the 2020 winner of the Kluge Prize from the Library of Congress, which recognizes scholarly achievement in disciplines not covered by the Nobel Prize. Allen received the Kluge Prize for “her internationally recognized scholarship in political theory and her commitment to improving democratic practice and civics education." Her many books include the widely acclaimed Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality; Cuz: The Life and Times of Michael A.; Democracy in the Time of Coronavirus; and Justice by Means of Democracy.

Evelyn M. Harris

Harris was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, where her passion for singing began at the age of five. While attending Howard University, Harris learned “how” to sing, although she credits Ebenezer Baptist Church in Richmond with her initial training, saying, “I found God in music.” Through her music, Harris weaves political activism with harmony and fosters community through song, finding ways to address racism, misogyny, and other forms of discrimination with expressions of joy, hallelujah praising, and spiritual testimony. In 1974, Harris joined acclaimed a capella group Sweet Honey In The Rock, singing with them for 18 years. Harris is a globally known composer, arranger, lecturer, soloist, choir director, and master class leader. Currently, Harris fronts her blues band StompBoxTrio, directs the Ujima Singers at the Northampton Community Music Center, and enjoys being a member of Young@Heart, a group of men and women aged 75 and above, performing covers of songs from every musical genre.

Admiral Rachel L. Levine

With degrees from Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine, and training in pediatrics and adolescent medicine at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, Adm. Levine was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as the 17th assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During her tenure, Adm. Levine was instrumental in the fight against COVID-19 and led the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the nation’s eight uniformed services. As a physician, she focused on the intersection between mental and physical health, treating children, adolescents, and young adults. Adm. Levine has been a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine, vice chair for clinical affairs for the Department of Pediatrics, and chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and Eating Disorders at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. She served as Pennsylvania's physician general and Pennsylvania's secretary of health, working to address Pennsylvania's opioid crisis, focus attention on maternal health, and improve immunization rates among children. Adm. Levine is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, and the Academy for Eating Disorders.

Preeti Simran Sethi ’92

Sethi is an award-winning writer, trauma-informed mental health coach, and Nova Institute Media Fellow advancing Asian mental health and well-being through medicines, healing modalities, and altered states of consciousness that are indigenous to Asian cultures. Named one of DoubleBlind magazine’s “Influential, Innovative, and Disruptive Women in Psychedelics,” one of the “50 Most Influential Global Indians” by Vogue India, and the “environmental messenger” by Vanity Fair, she has written for outlets including The New York Times, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Guernica, and The Guardian. Sethi was designated one of the top eight women saving the planet by Marie Claire. She is the author of Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love—named one of the best food books of 2016 by the Smithsonian—about the loss of biodiversity in food and agriculture told through bread, wine, chocolate, coffee, and beer. She is the host and creator of The Slow Melt podcast, named Best Food Podcast by Saveur magazine; and is coauthor of Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy, winner of the 2008 Axiom Award for Best Business Ethics Book. Sethi is a contributor to multiple anthologies around issues of social, environmental, and personal transformation.