Stern professor Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and author of “The Anxious Generation,” will address graduates as one of four honorary degree recipients at NYU’s 193rd all-university commencement on May 14. 

Haidt, who will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters, has studied social media’s correlation to declining teen mental health since he arrived at NYU in 2018. His research inspired NYU IRL — the university’s initiative encouraging students to use their phones less and instead attend community events and visit spaces like the NEST —  and he recently spoke at a fireside chat, where recounted his experience teaching before and after the proliferation of smartphones. 

The Stern professor drew controversy in 2022 when he refused to write a statement on equity, inclusion and anti-racism for a research conference hosted by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology — the world’s largest social psychologists organization. He resigned from the organization in protest, writing that “most academic work has nothing to do with diversity, so these mandatory statements force many academics to betray their quasi-fiduciary duty.”

Haidt has criticized progressive university culture throughout his career. He launched the Heterodox Academy — an organization of more than 8,000 faculty, staff and students  — to prioritize “viewpoint diversity” in academia, and he co-founded a college that aims to combat “wokeism.” The psychologist criticized trigger warnings and other sensitivity precautions, and faced backlash in 2014 for holding a class that many students felt was homophobic — where he played a video that compared incest to gay sex — which he later apologized for.

“The Anxious Generation” — which has been a New York Times bestseller for two years — sparked a movement calling for parents, schools and governments to rethink the impact of social media on young people. His work has been lauded by organizations including The Heritage Foundation, TED and several other colleges, including Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“Collective effervescence — that electric charge we feel when we come together and something larger than ourselves takes over—doesn’t happen by accident,” President Linda Mills said in the press release. “It requires people to inhabit the stages, laboratories, arenas, and concert halls where it’s made possible.”

After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, Haidt taught at the University of Virginia for 16 years before coming to NYU. He now teaches ethical leadership at the Stern School of Business. 

The three others receiving honorary degrees include Jacob Collier, a seven-time Grammy winner, Mal Graham, a two-time NBA-champion-turned-judge, and Mary-Claire King, an award-winning geneticist whose scholarship has transformed cancer research. Collier — the only British artist to win a Grammy for each of his first five albums, and the NYU Sony Audio Institute’s artist-in-residence — will receive a Doctor of Fine Arts and deliver a musical performance during the ceremony.

Graham, a Stern alum, was a record-setting player for the university’s basketball team before becoming a two-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics. He became a lawyer and appellate court justice following his retirement, and will receive a Doctor of Laws. Mills also announced that Graham will assist her in presenting the NYU women’s basketball team with the university medal for this year’s season — after two national titles and a record-breaking 91 victories between March 2023 and March 2026 — which the head coach and captain will accept on the team’s behalf. 

As the first scientist to show that breast cancer can be genetically inherited, King, who was awarded the National Medal of Science in 2016, will receive a Doctor of Science. She also pioneered and advocated for the use of DNA sequencing for human rights investigations, using original methods to identify kidnapped children in Argentina and cases of human rights violations in six continents.  

“Each honoree we celebrate today has spent their life doing exactly that: creating the conditions in which others can gather, connect, and, ultimately, be transformed,” Mills said. “They catalyze the collective effervescence that our global community aspires to achieve.”

Contact Eva Mundo and Dharma Niles at [email protected].