Published: September 02, 2008 08:00 am      

Clooney among potential EKU honorary degree recipients

Eastern Kentucky University may be going Hollywood.

Two well-known filmmakers with Kentucky ties are among several notable candidates for honorary doctorate degrees at the university.

The Board of Regents will vote during its quarterly meeting Saturday whether to approve the candidates recommended by the University Honorary Degree Nominating Committee.

Kentucky native George Clooney, an Academy-Award and Golden-Globe winning actor, director, producer and screenwriter, is among those nominated.

Clooney was presented with the 2007 Summit Peace Prize Award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and, in January, he was appointed as a UN Messenger of Peace.

His father, Nick Clooney, was awarded an honorary degree last school year.

Already a recipient of a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, actor, writer, producer and director Garry Marshall also could receive an EKU honorary degree.

Marshall began his career as a joke writer and became a writer for the “Tonight Show with Jack Paar.”

He moved to Hollywood to created the TV shows “Happy Days,” “Laverne and Shirley” and “Mork and Mindy” and direct several hit movies, including “Beaches,” “Pretty Woman” and “The Princess Diaries.”

“Both nominees have earned recognition for their accomplishments and have made significant contributions to society,” said Janna Vice, chair of the Honorary Degree Nominating Committee and EKU associate provost. “They both have Kentucky ties. George Clooney was born in Kentucky. Garry Marshall has ties to Richmond and visits periodically.”

According to guidelines, the honorary degree recipients “shall be distinguished in his/her field and have demonstrated exemplary service.”

The committee reviews the nominations and submits the recommendations to the EKU president.

If the president approves the nominees, the names are submitted to the Board of Regents.

Board-approved names then are added to a list of approved candidates for the degree.

The president then selects the final names from the list and makes the official offer to the recipients.

“Bestowing honorary degrees is an opportunity to recognize highly accomplished individuals and to focus attention on the university community’s commitment to recognize the development of knowledge and service to humanity,” Vice said.

Several others also have been nominated for degrees for the noteworthy work in their respective fields.

Kentucky Education Commissioner Jon E. Draud, who received a bachelor of science and master’s degree in school administration from EKU, is a candidate.

A former state legislator, Draud has served in multiple educational roles, including superintendent of Ludlow Independent Schools, associate professor at Northern Kentucky University and a member of the Kenton County Board of Education.

Morehead native Timothy C. James, who attended Morehead State University and EKU on a four-year Army ROTC scholarship, also is up for an honorary degree.

While attending college, he worked as a Morehead police dispatcher, police officer and firefighter/EMT.

James, who received his bachelor of science degree in law enforcement from EKU, also received his commission into the U.S. Army Military Police.

After resigning from the Army, he accepted a position with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), which he retired in 2004.

During his career, James served in many positions, including head of a UN/NATO Counterintelligence cell in Croatia, assistant special agent in charge of London, England, and personal security advisor to the secretary of the Navy.

He also served two tours as the special agent in charge for the Department of Defense Criminal Investigation Task Force in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Brad G. Loar, who received his master’s degree in geography and community planning from EKU, also could receive another degree from the institution.

Loar is branch chief for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IV Mitigation Division in Atlanta.

He has served in more than 30 major declared disasters, most recently in the back-to-back hurricane seasons in 2004 and 2005, and manages services related to the National Flood Insurance Program.

The final honorary degree candidate is Vanderbilt University professor Dr. Akunuri V. Ramayya, who specializes in nuclear physics.

He has authored and co-authored more than 500 scientific articles, mentored dozens of Ph.D. students and was instrumental in Vanderbilt University’s organizing of four international conferences about Fission and Structure of Neutron Rich Nuclei.

Previous notable honorary degree recipients include: former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, former Kentucky Govs. Edward Breathitt, Louis Nunn, Julian Carroll, John Y. Brown Jr., Martha Layne Collins and Wallace Wilkinson, astronauts Scott Carpenter and Story Musgrave, famous Protestant preacher and author Norman Vincent Peale, former Chief Justice Joseph Lambert, singer Ricky Skaggs and actor Lee Majors.

“EKU’s honorary degree recipients have varied backgrounds and scope of influence, ranging from local to international,” Vice said. “The common characteristic of all the recipients is that their work and service have added value to humanity. EKU shares this goal. As President (Doug) Whitlock states, ‘Our real mission is the business of building better lives.’”



Bryan Marshall can be reached at bmarshall@richmondregister.com or 624-6691.