2008 HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS

[excerpts from citations read at Commencement ]

JUDYANN ROLLINS BIGBY

This past January, Governor Deval Patrick named Bigby Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In this position she oversees 17 state agencies and serves in the Governor's Cabinet; she also has responsibility for programs in health care, insurance coverage, housing, child welfare, and disabilities; and she chairs the Health Care Quality and Cost Council that establishes statewide measures to improve quality, contain costs, and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

Before her appointment, Bigby was the Medical Director of Community Health Programs at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of its Center of Excellence in Women's Health. Early in her practice, Bigby recognized that a patient's willingness to accept advice and instruction depended on comfortable and clear communication. Effective communication between patient and health care provider became the basis for her ground-breaking work. She encouraged her colleagues to take into account gender, race, ethnicity and personal background when interacting with patients, and she developed innovative teaching models to explore social factors in healthcare. Bigby as published several studies about health care disparities and also edited a book, Cross-Cultural Medicine, that explores how health issues present themselves within different populations.

Born in Jamaica, NY, she was among the first in her family to attend college and she was the first to become a doctor. After graduating from Wellesley College, Bigby earned her degree in medicine from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency in Seattle. Her career path has brought her back to Boston, where she has improved the lives of so many through her practice.

CONSTANCE HESS WILLIAMS '64

For the past eleven years she has dedicated herself to public service, first in the House of Representatives and now in the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Elected to represent the 17th District, her responsibilities include co-chairing the Senate Life Sciences and Biotechnology Caucus and serving on committees such as the Governor's Advisory Committee on Minority and Women Business Opportunities and the Children's Environmental Health Caucus. In addition Williams co-chairs the Pennsylvania New Democrat Coalition, and with special importance this year, she is the Senate Democratic Caucus Administrator.

Throughout her career Williams has worked diligently to bring about socially responsible change for those she represents. Her efforts have increased protection for children in child care and for victims of domestic violence. She has improved firearm safety, won funding for open space preservation and expanded environmental protection. Consistently, she brings good judgment to important issues and guides them through the legislative process.

After graduating from Pine Manor with the class of 1964, Williams earned a BA in English from Barnard College and an MBA from the Wharton School. She and her family have been active members of our community. For nine years (1981-1990) she served as a member of the PMC Board of Trustees. The Hess Gallery attracts artists and exhibits that offer Pine Manor students extraordinary opportunities to learn and interact with contemporary artists. PMC's English and Management curriculums have been enriched by her support, and most recently, she has provided scholarship support for Pine Manor students.

Recently, Williams announced her decision to retire at the end of her current term in Pennsylvania's Senate. Although her official role may end at that time, many know she will continue to advocate for those issues dear to her heart - quality education, economic equality for working women and women-owned business, and better access to healthcare for women and children.

JACQUELINE WOODSON

Since she was a child growing up in South Carolina and Brooklyn, NY, Woodson has loved books and writing. Writing has always made her happy and won her praise. As a 5th grader she received first prize for a poem she wrote about Martin Luther King. This past January your book Feathers was names a 2008 Newbery Honor Book, the second time her work has received this coveted distinction.

As a young reader, Woodson realized that the stories she was reading rarely contained people who shared her culture or the types of challenges she was facing growing up. She committed her career to correcting that. As an emerging author, she chose to write realistic fiction for young people. Her books are alive with characters who represent a variety of ethnic groups and social classes and who find themselves facing issues that test values and deal with feeling out of place. Because of her sensitivity and creativity, a whole new generation of young readers can see themselves in literature appropriate for their age. They can enjoy, learn from, and identify with the adventures and emotions of the characters in her books.

Not surprisingly, Woodson's talent has been widely recognized. Her books have been translated into more than ten languages, and she has won multiple awards and honors. They include the Coretta Scott King Award, the Boston Globe Horn Book Award, The Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Jane Addams Peace Award for Social Justice. Her picture book, The Other Side, has been produced as a play, and in 2004 her young adult novel, Miracle's Boys, was made into a TV mini-series directed by a number of people including Spike Lee.

After graduating from Adelphi University with a BA in English, Woodson was a drama therapist for homeless children in New York City. This experience undoubtedly enriched the realism of the characters and story lines of her books. Whether critiquing the work of PMC's graduate students, as a valued faculty member of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Pine Manor, doing readings and participating in conferences both here and abroad, or serving as a Writer-in-Residence for the National Book Foundation's Summer Writing Camp, she generously shares her talents and love of writing with others.