Each year Taylor University bestows honorary doctorates and other awards to individuals during and before commencement.
According to a recent university update email, three individuals will be recognized this year during the 2023 ceremony, with another being given an honorary doctorate during Heritage Day on April 28.
“A tradition whose roots trace back to the Middle Ages, conferring honorary degrees is an opportunity to publicly recognize people whose life-long achievements and personal values reflect the Christian principles of servant-leadership, vocational excellence, and Christ-honoring commitment that we value so highly here at Taylor,” University President Michael Lindsay said.
Jamie Haenggi, Tom Lin and Russ Pulliam will each receive honors as a part of commencement, while Billy Kim will have his degree conferred during the morning chapel service on Heritage Day, where he will be the primary speaker.
Kim, a South Korean native, is a prominent evangelist and humanitarian. He was previously president of the Baptist World Alliance and the Far East Broadcasting Network, an international Christian radio network. The church he pastors has a membership of over 15,000. His ministry has provided scholarships to Taylor and he has worked closely with Jay Kesler, president emeritus.
He will receive the doctor of divinity degree, honoris causa.
Haenggi is the president of ADT Solars — a part of ADT Security Services, one of the largest security monitoring corporations in America. She has served for over 25 years in marketing, sales, customer experience and operations. In addition to her role at ADT, she is a member of Taylor’s Board of Visitors. She will receive the Doctor of Business degree, honoris causa.
Lin is the president of InterVarsity Fellowship, a college campus ministry that establishes chapters at schools throughout the country to build witnessing communities and also oversees InterVarsity Press in Illinois, a leading Christian publisher. Lin has authored two books and has served as an InterVarsity campus minister at both Harvard University and Boston University. He will receive the Doctor of Public Service degree, honoris causa. Lin gave the keynote address at Taylor’s commencement in 2020.
Pulliam is a longtime journalist who has worked with both The Indianapolis News and The Indianapolis Star. Pulliam has funded numerous scholarships for the university and for students interested in journalism, as well as providing support through the Pulliam Journalism Center. Pulliam has provided $60,000 in multimedia journalism scholarships for the current school year, plus a recent donation of $120,000 for 2023-24 and an additional $120,000 for 2024-2025, Alan Blanchard, associate professor of journalism, said.
These scholarships have been named in honor of a variety of Christian journalists throughout history.
“I have asked the Lord for a new generation of news reporters to bring the wisdom of the Bible to bear on their reporting and analysis of current events,” Pulliam said. “I hope they can follow worthy examples of Abraham Kuyper, Hannah More, McCandlish Phillips, William Allen White and Doctor Luke in the Bible.”
He will receive the doctor of humane letters degree, honoris causa.
Taylor has historically awarded these doctorates to exemplary individuals in the university’s history, and to those who have made an impact, as a way of celebrating them and their legacy.
The Echo will continue to share information about the 2023 commencement ceremony as it becomes available. The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 20.
