U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to Speak at NYU’s 2012 Commencement

Honorary Degree Recipients Also Include NY Times Columnist David Brooks, Humanitarian Patrick Desbois, and Molecular Biologist Charles Weissmann

Philanthropist Sylvia Hassenfeld to Receive Gallatin Medal; Metropolitan Museum of Art President Emily Rafferty to Receive Rudin Award

NYU President John Sexton and Board of Trustees Chairman Martin Lipton today announced the names of those to be honored at the University’s 180th Commencement Exercises, which will be held Wednesday, May 16 in Yankee Stadium.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor – the 111th Supreme Court justice, and the Court’s first Hispanic member – will address the graduates and guests. Justice Sotomayor will receive a Doctor of Laws degree, honoris causa, at the ceremony.

This year’s other recipients of honorary doctorates are:

David Brooks – author, journalist, and New York Times columnist – will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa.

Patrick Desbois – Roman Catholic priest, long-time advocate of improved Catholic-Jewish relations, and President of Yahad-In Unum, the organization he founded to identify the mass graves of Jews and Roma killed by Nazis in Eastern Europe during WWII-- will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa.

Charles Weissmann – molecular biologist, chairman of infectology at Scripps Florida, and leading researcher into prion-based illnesses – will receive a Doctor of Science degree, honoris causa.

The “Albert Gallatin Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Society” will be presented to philanthropist Sylvia Hassenfeld.

The “Lewis Rudin Award for Exemplary Service to New York City” will be presented to Metropolitan Museum of Art President Emily Rafferty.