Loyola University Chicago to Confer Honorary Degrees During May, August Commencement Ceremonies

CONTACT

Gabrielle Abbott

Media@LUC.edu

CHICAGO – March 19, 2025 

At commencement ceremonies in May and August, Loyola University Chicago will confer honorary degrees on Mary L. Smith, JD, (BS ’84) a renowned leader in law, business, and public service, and Rev. Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., PhD, president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and president emeritus of Loyola, for their visionary leadership and longstanding commitment to the common good and service to others.  

Smith will receive the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, during the School of Law ceremony in May. Smith currently serves as vice chair of the VENG Group.

In leadership roles across many sectors, Smith has demonstrated a deep commitment to the principles of justice, service, and the pursuit of excellence. From 2023 to 2024, Smith served as the president of the American Bar Association, the first Native American woman to serve in the role. 

She formerly led the Indian Health Service, a $6-billion national healthcare organization serving 2.2 million individuals; held a senior role at Tyco International, a $40-billion public company; served on the senior team at the United States Department of Justice’s Civil Division; and was general counsel at the Illinois Department of Insurance.  

Smith is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. She founded and serves as the board chair for the Caroline and Ora Smith Foundation, to increase the number of Native American girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Smith holds a JD from the University of Chicago School of Law and a BS in mathematics and computer science from Loyola. 

Garanzini will receive the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, during the Arrupe College ceremony in August. During his tenure as president of Loyola from 2001 to 2015, Garanzini played an instrumental role in establishing Arrupe College, pioneering an innovative educational model to make a Jesuit education accessible and affordable for low-income, first-generation college students.

Garanzini served as secretary for higher education of the Society of Jesus, and chair of the board of directors for the International Association of Jesuit Universities following his time with Loyola, continuing to champion collaboration among Jesuit institutions worldwide.  

Garanzini holds a BA in psychology and English from Saint Louis University and a PhD in psychology and religion from the Graduate Theological Union/University of California, Berkeley. Garanzini entered the Society of Jesus in 1971 and was ordained as a priest in 1980.

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About Loyola University Chicago 
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, recognized for its academic excellence, commitment to community engagement, and leadership in sustainability. A Carnegie R1 research institution, Loyola leverages its status as one of an elite group of universities with the highest level of research activity to advance knowledge that serves communities and creates global impact. With 15 schools, colleges, and institutes—including Business, Law, Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences—Loyola operates three primary campuses in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, that provide students a transformative, globally connected learning experience. Consistently ranked among the nation’s top universities by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is a STARS Gold-rated institution that is ranked as one of the country’s most sustainable campuses by The Princeton Review and has earned distinctions from AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation for its longstanding record of service and community engagement. Guided by its Jesuit mission and commitment to caring for the whole person, Loyola educates ethical leaders who think critically, act with purpose, and strive to create a more just and sustainable world.