Argonne director recieves honorary NIU doctoral degree

by Tom Parisi

NIU presented an honorary doctoral degree Saturday to Argonne National Laboratory Director Hermann A. Grunder, recognizing his many outstanding contributions to the field of physics.

Grunder accepted the honorary Doctor of Science degree during the commencement ceremony for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the Convocation Center.

"Dr. Grunder couldn't be more deserving of this honor," NIU Provost Ivan Legg said. "He leads one of the nation's premier federal laboratories and is an accomplished scientist who has been recognized internationally for his work in the areas of accelerator and nuclear physics. Dr. Grunder has greatly advanced the knowledge base that will serve as a foundation for future generations of scientists."

Grunder was nominated by the NIU Department of Physics, which has a working relationship with Argonne National Laboratory, where many faculty members and students conduct research.

"Dr. Grunder is both a dynamic leader and eminent scientist, traits that have made him an individual of uncommon ability and success," said John Shaffer, physics chair. "We're privileged to have an active working relationship with Dr. Grunder and with the Argonne community."

In November 2000, Grunder took the reins of Argonne National Laboratory, located near suburban Lemont. Before that, he was instrumental in establishing and building the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia, where he served as director for 15 years.

A native of Basel, Switzerland, Grunder holds a doctorate in experimental nuclear physics from the University of Basel and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany.

Grunder has won a long list of honors, including the Virginia Scientist of the Year Award, the U.S. Senior Scientist Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Bonn, Germany, and the Distinguished Associate Award from the U.S. Department of Energy.

NIU awards no more than two honorary degrees each year to recognize leaders in various fields of interest to higher education. Award recipients must be considered exceptional, even among the outstanding contributors to their fields.

Grunder joins distinguished company. Past recipients of honorary doctoral degrees from NIU have included J. Dennis Hastert, U.S. Speaker of the House; Arthur Schlesinger, distinguished historian and author; Paul Simon, U.S. senator, and world-renowned astronomer Carl Sagan.

5-12-03