Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Wayne State University during winter term commencement ceremonies beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, in Detroit's Cobo Arena. Also receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws degree will be labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta of Bakersfield, Calif. Receiving Distinguished Alumni awards will be Daniel Angel, president of Marshall University, and Charlene Turner Johnson, president of the Michigan Neighborhood Partnership.

Graduating seniors, Kurt M. Hunsanger of Sterling Heights and Viveka Borum of Warren will receive the prestigious David D. Henry Award, which is given to a man and to a woman in the midyear graduating class who have distinguished themselves through outstanding contributions in the areas of leadership, service and student activities, consistent with high scholarship. They are among approximately 3,400 students in the graduating class.

Granholm was sworn in as Michigan's 47th governor and first female governor last January. Prior to her election as governor, she earned a reputation as a champion of citizens' and consumer issues during her tenure as Michigan attorney general. She started the state's first high-tech crimes unit to prosecute misuse of the Internet, took action against nursing homes found to be abusing tenants, prosecuted gas station owners accused of price gouging and established the attorney general's office as a leading force against environmental crimes in the state.

As a federal prosecutor in Detroit prior to her service for the state of Michigan, Granholm achieved a 98 percent conviction rate. As Michigan governor, she has tackled the difficult task of putting the state on a sound financial footing with the same determination that marked her efforts in other government service positions. Wayne State is recognizing the Michigan governor for her distinguished career in the legal profession and continuing dedication to public service.

Huerta has been especially active in advocating for the rights of migrant workers and women. In 1962, she was a cofounder, along with Cesar Chavez, of the group that became the United Farm Workers. She was a leader of the UFW's national grape boycott and played a key role in the campaign against use of toxic pesticides as well as legislation against abuses in child labor.

Huerta was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993 and is a recipient of the ACLU Roger Baldwin Medal of Liberty Award and the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom Award. In 1998, Ms. Magazine named her as one of three "Women of the Year." She also has been honored by Ladies Home Journal as one of the "100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century." She was instrumental in placing the UFW's historical documents in the archival collection, including her own papers, at Wayne State's Walter P. Reuther Library. She is being honored by WSU for distinguished achievements in labor and civic affairs.

Angel, a Detroit native who holds bachelor's and master's degrees from WSU and a doctorate from Purdue University, was named president of Marshall University (Huntington, W.Va.) in 2000. Prior to that he headed Stephen F. Austin State University, Austin Community College, Citrus College and Imperial Valley College. He was elected to three terms in the Michigan Legislature, where he served on the College and University Committee, in the 1970s.

Under his leadership at Marshall, the university has initiated doctoral programs in psychology and education, built a $28 million student housing complex and secured funding for a biotechnology science center. The National Council has recognized him as a Pacesetter of the Year for Community Relations and one of 75 Outstanding Young Educators in the United States by Phi Delta Kappa.

Turner Johnson is cofounder of the Michigan Neighborhood Partnership (MNP), which assists secular and religious organizations in partnering with education, government and business leaders to solve problems related to disparity in health, wealth, safety and quality of life. Last year, the partnership helped more than 100,000 persons. Since its beginning in 1994, the organization has leveraged more than $50 million in resources for neighborhood-based work.

Turner Johnson, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Wayne State, also is founder of CTJ Executive Ministries, which provides training to ministers and faith-based organizations. She chairs the board of directors for University Preparatory Academy charter school, is on the board of Community Development Advocates and is a member of Comerica Bank's Community Advisory Board.