From Detroit to South Africa, numerous media outlets published highlights from Wayne State University’s spring 2013 commencement ceremonies, held Thursday, May 9. 

More than 3,500 students participated in the ceremonies, which concluded the university's 145th academic year.  Honorary doctorates were bestowed upon famed Detroit folk singer Sixto Rodriguez and local businessman and community leader Walter E. Douglas.

Reporters and photographers from several print and broadcast news outlets attended the 10 a.m. ceremony to get a glimpse of Rodriguez. 

The Associate Press headline “‘Sugar Man’ Sixto Rodriguez Awarded Honorary Degree From Wayne State University In Detroit” generated hundreds of media mentions throughout the country and abroad. 

Rodriguez, who earned a bachelor’s in philosophy from WSU in 1981, received a Doctor of Humane Letters for his musical genius and commitment to social justice. He is the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man.