Linda P.B. Katehi, chancellor of University of California, Davis, will receive an honorary degree (Honoris Causa) from the American College of Greece during its commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 28.

Each year, the American College of Greece confers honorary degrees on distinguished leaders who rank among the most influential academicians, artists, politicians and philanthropists in the world. Recipients are leaders from Greece and the United States whom the college deems as inspirational, with their visionary ideas and ideals, to the next generation of graduates. Previous recipients of honorary degrees from the American College of Greece include Doris Kearns Goodwin, historian; Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University; and George Mitchell, former U.S. senator and peace negotiator.

“The American College of Greece offers a world-class education and is helping shape the next generation of leaders in Greece and the world,” said Katehi. “I consider it one of the great honors of my career to receive this honorary degree.”

Founded in Smyrna (present-day Turkey) in 1875, the American College of Greece is the oldest and largest U.S. accredited college or university in Europe. The college relocated to Athens, Greece, in 1923. Current enrollment stands at over 3,000 students and the college claims 37,000 alumni worldwide.

Katehi became the sixth chancellor of UC Davis on Aug. 17, 2009. As chief executive officer, she oversees all aspects of the university’s teaching, research and public service mission, including the UC Davis Health System.

In addition to her role as chancellor, Katehi also holds faculty appointments in electrical and computer engineering and in women and gender studies. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, she served as chair of the President’s Committee for the National Medal of Science and the secretary of commerce’s committee for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Previously, Katehi served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University; and associate dean for academic affairs and graduate education in the College of Engineering and professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan.

Her work in electronic circuit design has led to numerous national and international awards both as a technical leader and educator, 19 U.S. patents, and several additional U.S. patent applications. She is the author or co-author of 10 book chapters and about 650 refereed publications in journals and symposia proceedings.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 1977, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from UCLA in 1981 and 1984, respectively.