The Cullen College of Engineering’s own Bonnie Dunbar, M.D. Anderson Professor of mechanical engineering and Director of Aerospace Engineering, was honored last month by the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, where she received an honorary Doctorate of Science at the university’s commencement ceremonies. The 2014 commencement marks the university’s 50th anniversary.
University of Strathclyde Principal Professor Sir Jim McDonald spoke about the honorary degree recipients, which also included the Republic of Ireland’s ex-president Mary McAleese, saying, “We are delighted to be welcoming so many distinguished guests to receive honorary degrees and to join us in our celebrations. They span a wide spectrum of achievement and have each made a vast contribution to society.”
Dunbar, who also serves as director of the University of Houston STEM Center, came to the university in 2013 after a long tenure as a NASA astronaut, where she logged over 1,208 hours (50 days) in space. In addition to her honorary doctorate from the University of Strathclyde, Dunbar also earned her B.S. and M.S. in ceramic engineering from the University of Washington in 1971 and 1975, respectively, as well as her Ph.D. in mechanical/biomedical engineering from the University of Houston in 1983.