Select a name below to view citation:

Edwin N. Forman, M.D.
John O'Hurley '76
Reverend Robert J. Randall
Hon. Donald F. Shea '50
Carolyn Yauyan Woo

Edwin N. Forman, M.D.

Dr. Edwin N. Forman, your medical knowledge, reassuring demeanor, and deep empathy for young patients and their families have earned you the love and gratitude of thousands of families throughout Southeastern New England. Your very presence in the halls of Hasbro Children's Hospital inspires courage and hope.

Embracing the field of childhood hematology and oncology when survival was rare, you have devoted your career to finding cures for childhood cancers while creating critical support systems to help children and families thrive even as they face a life-altering challenge.

You work tirelessly to advance the practice of medicine through a passionate commitment to medical education and bioethics, setting an extraordinary example for generations of young physicians. You establish new standards for the treatment of childhood blood disorders and malignancies, ever mindful that the diagnosis and treatment of cancer profoundly shakes a child's entire world.

After nearly four decades, you continue to demonstrate the remarkable ability to provide outstanding medical care while sharing the emotional turmoil of your patients and families. You know intimately what it is to "rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep" and do so without shame.

The Tomorrow Fund, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Providence's Ronald McDonald House, Camp Hope, and Remembrance Day -- each an invaluable regional resource that brings healing and comfort to countless families -- all owe their existence to your guiding vision and compassion.

For these reasons, Father Chairman and Father President, the Corporation of Providence College presents Edwin N. Forman as one deemed worthy to receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Science and requests you to confer upon him this degree together with all its rights and privileges.

John O'Hurley '76

John O'Hurley, in the 30 years since you graduated from Providence College and left behind the modest stages in the Friar's Cell and Harkins Hall, you have created an unparalleled career as an actor, musician, composer, singer, dancer, philanthropist, and business entrepreneur.

Your intuitive portrayal of real-life catalog king J. Peterman in the fictional world of Seinfeld earned you an unforgettable place in the perpetual world of syndication. You wisely leveraged this unexpected acclaim to secure other performance opportunities in advertising, on television, in films, and on stage. As a result, you are one of the most widely recognized characters in American pop culture, arguably possessing the entertainment industry's most memorable and melodious voice.

Your natural ingenuity and unfailing good humor opened doors to business opportunities and entrepreneurial ventures invariably marked by good timing and great success.

You also use your celebrity to provide significant support for charities close to your heart: Golfers Against Cancer, the Child Development Institute, the Epilepsy Foundation, and The Adoption Exchange, among others.

You live life large and well, never neglecting your New England roots or ties to your alma mater.  Indeed, your name marks a rehearsal room in the College's Smith Center for the Arts, where we hope that someday a worthy successor might be inspired to achieve a similar measure of fame and fortune.

For these reasons, Father Chairman and Father President, the Corporation of Providence College presents John O'Hurley as one deemed worthy to receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts and requests you to confer upon him this degree together with all its rights and privileges.

Reverend Robert J. Randall

Rev. Robert J. Randall, blessed with an extraordinary intellect and unquenchable passion for life and learning, you chose to serve the Church and higher education. Your life echoes George Herbert's verse: "My soul's a shepherd too: a flock it feeds/Of thoughts, and words, and deeds."

We honor you with deep appreciation for nearly 30 years of service to Providence College as a valued faculty member. Your generosity established The Rev. Robert Randall Distinguished Professorship in Christian Culture, the College's first endowed chair and a fitting tribute to your teaching and scholarship.

You have been pastor, preacher, teacher, and friend at churches in Rhode Island and Florida. Your philanthropic instincts helped establish an ecumenical charity for disadvantaged and elderly residents on Block Island and prompted the building of St. Andrew Parish Center, a hub for community life there.  At St. Sebastian Church in Providence, you led efforts to build new apartments for the homeless.

A composer and concert pianist, you also are a gifted author, championship golfer, world traveler, and always-welcome guest.

For these reasons, Father Chairman and Father President, the Corporation of Providence College presents Robert J. Randall as one deemed worthy to receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities and requests you to confer upon him this degree together with all its rights and privileges

Hon. Donald F. Shea '50

Justice Donald F. Shea, we recognize you today for more than forty-five years of outstanding service to the State of Rhode Island, and honor the example you have set for your nation, profession, church, and family.

A U.S. Navy veteran who saw combat during the Normandy Invasion and the Battle of Okinawa, you helped defend and preserve the precious ideals of democracy that define our nation and shape our justice system.

Your distinguished career as a lawyer was conducted with an unselfish commitment to secure justice and advance the integrity of your profession.  As a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, you ably demonstrated how dedicated citizen-legislators are the essence of good government.

During tenure as an associate justice of the Superior and Supreme Courts of Rhode Island, your acumen was reflected in more than 500 opinions and your unfailing courtesy and civility earned the admiration and respect of all parties who appeared before you.

St. Brendan Church, where you are a daily communicant and active volunteer, also has been a beneficiary of your loyalty and service. But no title or position claims the place your heart reserves for Ursula, your treasured wife for more than fifty-five years; your five devoted children; and your beloved grandchildren.

Providence College is indeed proud to honor one of its own sons for a lifetime of service and achievement marked by courage, wisdom, faith, and humility.

For these reasons, Father Chairman and Father President, the Corporation of Providence College presents Donald F. Shea as one deemed worthy to receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law and requests you to confer upon him this degree together with all its rights and privileges.

Carolyn Yauyan Woo

Carolyn Yauyan Woo, for 25 years you have been a remarkable force in business education at two of America's premiere institutions of higher education. Your innovative teaching, research, and scholarship have established you as a fresh voice of change in the business world and as the only woman dean of a major business school.
 
Under your leadership, the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business earned Business Week accolades as one of the top three undergraduate programs in the country. Ever faithful to the Catholic identity of the institution you so ably serve, you expanded ethics content in every facet of the curriculum, prompting the Aspen Institute to recognize the business school as having the most integrative approach to business ethics in the nation.

It is, however, your educational journey that most inspires. Your family fled mainland China for Hong Kong where you were educated by Maryknoll Sisters. You memorized large portions of Webster's dictionary to learn English and cobbled together family funds - hoping to complete just one year of college in America. Six years and several scholarships later, you received your doctoral degree at age 25.    

You have championed many initiatives to provide college scholarships to deserving young people and are among 100 select Chinese-American leaders devoted to enhancing U.S.-China relations and promoting the full participation of Chinese-Americans in American life.

For these reasons, Father Chairman and Father President, the Corporation of Providence College presents Carolyn Yauyan Woo as one deemed worthy to receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Business Administration and requests you to confer upon her this degree together with all its rights and privileges.

Return to Commencement 2006 Press Kit