Fern June Khan is a dedicated educator and activist for community-based programs, and posthumously to Robie H. Harris, GSE ’70, for her legacy as a beloved educator, pioneering author, and lifelong advocate for children. Khan’s long history at Bank Street College included more than 20 years of steadfast leadership in developing student-centered programs, including Liberty LEADS and Head Start, and professional development programs for teachers and leaders. Upon receiving her honorary degree, Khan reminded the graduating class of Bank Street’s legacy with the words of its founder.
Commencement
Honorary Doctorates
An archive of individuals who have received an honorary doctorate at Bank Street Commencement
2025 Recipients
Robie H. Harris, GSE ’70, received the honorary degree for her legacy as a beloved educator, pioneering author, and lifelong advocate for children. Harris, who died in 2024, was a beloved member of the Bank Street family who authored more than 30 books for children and collaborated with the Bank Street Writers Laboratory. A true trailblazer, she dared to use her voice to answer the big questions that children ask with honesty and compassion. Two of her grandchildren, Ella, SFC ’16 and Rosie, SFC ’19, received the posthumous award in her honor.
Past Recipients
- 2024: Robin D. G. Kelley
- 2023: Ursula Davis and Guadalupe Valdés
- 2022: Carol Hillman
- 2021: Hubert Dyasi and Louise Derman-Sparks
- 2019: Dr. Eleanor Duckworth
- 2018: Frances Lucerna
- 2017: U.S. Representative John Lewis
- 2016: Ofelia García
- 2015: Richard Rothstein
- 2014: Margaret Honey and Perry Klass
- 2013: Olga Murray and Margery Franklin
- 2012: Dr. Freeman Hrabowski and Jerry Pinkney
- 2011: Martiza Macdonald and Katie Salen
- 2010: Beverly Hall and Pedro Noguera
- 2009: Susan Feingold and Michael Spock
- 2008: Susan V. Berresford and Ashley F. Bryan
- 2007: Leonard Marcus and Parker Palmer
- 2006: Dr. Bettye Fletcher Comer, Alphonse Fletcher, and Dr. Marta Tienda
- 2005: Wendy Ewald and Bryan Stevenson
- 2004: Billy Taylor, Eleanor Grieg Ukoli, and Margot Stern Strom
- 2003: Marion Bolden, Governor James B. Hunt, and Joan Maynard
- 2002: Michelle Fine, Robert Fullilove, Mindy Fullilove, & David Wolkenberg
- 2001: Joan W. Blos, Suzanne C. Carothers, and Richard W. Riley
- 2000: Emory Shaw Campbell, Harriet Mayor Fulbright (D), and Lorraine Monroe
- 1999: Faith Ringgold, Tom Roderick, and Lisbeth Schorr
- 1998: Geoffrey Canada, Patricia F. Carini, and Gordon Klopf
- 1997: Jim Cummins, Leah Levinger (D), and Vivian Paley
- 1996: Lisa Delpit, Ellen Galinsky, Robert Herbert, and Gus Trowbridge