Honorary Degrees
Honorary degrees may be conferred on AUC alumni who meet the criteria. However, active members of the faculty, staff, student body, Board of Trustees and government officials in active service are not eligible. A minimum of one year must pass after leaving active service before such individuals may be considered for nomination. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and trustees may submit nominations. A committee composed of trustees, administrators and faculty reviews all nominations, and the president submits final recommendations to the Board of Trustees for approval.
Nominating Criteria
Nominees must demonstrate enduring contributions or sustained commitment in one or more of the following areas:
- Academia and scholarship
- Artistic creativity
- Medical science
- Finance
- Media
- Public life and humanitarian service
- Philanthropy
AUC Honorary Degree Recipients
Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh '67, Chairman and CEO of Fresh Del Monte and Philanthropist, June 2025
Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh ’67 has served as chairman and CEO of Fresh Del Monte Produce since 1996, leading a significant turnaround that established the company as a global leader in fresh-cut and prepared fruit and vegetable production and distribution. Under his leadership, Fresh Del Monte went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1997. In addition to his role at Fresh Del Monte, Abu-Ghazaleh chairs several key institutions, including the Royal Jordanian Air Academy, Arab Wings and the Queen Noor Civil Aviation Technical College. He also leads the Abdali Clemenceau Hospital, a $290 million healthcare development project in Jordan, and is a founding shareholder of Clemenceau Medical Center in Lebanon. He serves on the board of United Cable Industries, a Jordanian public company.
Hala Ibrahim Zaydan, Doctor of Medicine, Advocate for Inclusive Education and Accessibility, June 2025
Hala Ibrahim Zaydan is a dedicated advocate for inclusive education and a steadfast supporter of accessible learning environments. As a parent of an AUC graduate, she has played an instrumental role in fostering equity and care within The American University in Cairo community. Drawing from her personal experience, Zaydan has worked closely with AUC faculty, administrators and the Office of Disability Services to strengthen support systems for students with disabilities. Her efforts have not only guided her son’s academic success but also extended to assisting other students on campus, reflecting her commitment to empathy, collaboration and community. Her contributions exemplify the values of accessibility, integrity and inclusion that AUC upholds.
Dina Katabi, Thuan and Nicole Pham Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, June 2024
Dina Katabi is an esteemed electrical engineering scholar whose research focuses on networks and congestion control, machine learning, signal processing and health diagnostics using radio frequency signals and artificial intelligence. She received a BA in electrical engineering from Damascus University and an MSc and PhD in computer science from MIT. Katabi joined MIT in 2003 as a professor of electrical engineering and computer science. Since then, she has been an influential academic, graduating generations of top students in the field. In addition to her teaching role, she is currently co-director of the MIT Center for Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing as well as principal investigator at MIT's Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Throughout her career, Katabi received numerous awards and recognitions. She was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as the National Academy of Engineering.
Eve Troutt Powell (CASA '84, '89, '05), Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of History and Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania, H.L.D, June 2022
Eve M. Troutt Powell teaches the history of the modern Middle East and the history of slavery in the Nile Valley and the Ottoman Empire. As a cultural historian, she emphasizes the exploration of literature and film in her courses. Troutt Powell received her BA, MA, and PhD from Harvard University. Before coming to Penn, she taught for ten years at the University of Georgia. She has received fellowships from the American Research Center in Egypt and the Social Science Research Council, and has been a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. In 2003, she was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow. She is also a professor in the department of Africana Studies.