April 20, 2011

Light	Buhler	Jensen

Morningside College to present three honorary degrees at May 14 commencement ceremony 

Morningside College will present three honorary degrees in addition to more than 300 graduate and undergraduate degrees at its 113th spring commencement exercises on Saturday, May 14, at 2 p.m. on the campus lawn in front of the Hickman-Johnson-Furrow Learning Center.

Morningside will award honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees to Richard J. Light, a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and the John F. Kennedy School of Government; Lucy Y. Buhler of Edmonds, Wash., a Morningside graduate and retired vocal music educator/consultant; and Carolyn B. “Tigger” Jensen, a longtime Sioux City resident and community volunteer.

Light also will be the featured speaker at the commencement ceremony.

Baccalaureate service will be held Friday, May 13, at 5 p.m. in Grace United Methodist Church, 1735 Morningside Avenue. The Rev. Magrey deVega, pastor of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cherokee, Iowa, will deliver the baccalaureate sermon. Baccalaureate and commencement ceremonies are open to the public.

Morningside College is presenting Light an honorary degree in recognition of his national achievements in higher education and his collaboration with Morningside. Light has focused his work on higher education policy analyses and strengthening the college experience for students. He has published seven books, including “Making the Most of College: Students Speak their Minds,” which received the Virginia and Warren Stone Prize in 2001 for best book about education and society.

Buhler is being recognized with an honorary degree for her support of music, the arts and education at Morningside and at organizations through the United States and around the world. After graduating from Morningside College in 1956, she taught vocal music and served as a music consultant before attending the University of South Dakota to earn her master’s degree in music. Buhler served on the Morningside College Board of Directors for 10 years.

Jensen is receiving an honorary degree in recognition of her support for Morningside and her involvement with cultural and educational initiatives in Sioux City. Her family has provided scholarships and direct grants to Morningside students and to athletic and academic programs. Along with her husband, Irving F. Jensen Jr., she also has been involved with the new Sioux City Public Museum and the Orpheum Theatre Preservation Project.