The State University of New York (SUNY) will present Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (AMMA), the Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham with an honorary doctorate in humane letters at a special ceremony to be held on May 25 at its campus in Buffalo.
“As an internationally revered spiritual leader and humanitarian, Amma has inspired and supported a great variety of humanitarian institutions and services, both in India and abroad,” the SUNY Vice-Provost, Dr. Stephen Dunnett told the gathered press and media representatives, speaking from Buffalo, New York.
“These include free food and clothing programs for the needy, charitable hospitals, hospices, disaster relief programs, free homes for the poor, medical camps, orphanages, schools, educational institutions, widows’ pension schemes, free legal advice, and environmental conservation programs, among others.”
Founded in 1864, the State University of New York has 64 campuses, 464,981 students and 33,455 members of faculty. There are 2,519,307 alumni. Last year, the university’s sponsored research budget touched 800 million dollars.
“The State University of New York (SUNY) awards honorary degrees to persons of exceptional distinction who have not only made outstanding contributions in their own field but have directly benefited SUNY and its member campuses,” stated Dr. Dunnett.
The University has awarded honorary degrees in the past to the Dalai Lama, Irene Zubaida Khan (Secretary General of Amnesty International), Philip Glass (distinguished American composer) and Jane Goodall (internationally acclaimed primatologist and educator).
