New England Institute of Technology is pleased to announce the Honorary Degree recipients at this year’s commencement.
Vince Wilfork, 2-time Super Bowl Champion
Vince Wilfork, former defensive captain and lineman who anchored the middle of the New England Patriots defense for 11 years, with bookend Super Bowl wins in his first and last year with the Patriots, will deliver New England Tech’s commencement address on Sunday, May 3, 2015. A fan favorite during his eleven-year career with the New England Patriots, the football standout who has worn #75 on his New England Patriots jersey during his entire career will help to mark the college’s 75th anniversary. He will also receive an honorary doctor of humane letters for his accomplishments and his work to improve the lives of others.
An imposing player on the field, off the field he has tackled issues close to his heart. He has 1.5 million dollars to help fund diabetes research, education and care in memory of his father, who died from complications of diabetes. He and his wife Bianca sponsored a wing at the Mattapan Community Health Center and they raise money for the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston and the Diabetes Research Institute in Florida. They have also worked to help disadvantaged children and families in Massachusetts and in Florida, where both Wilfork and his wife grew up.
An honorary doctor of humane letters will also be presented to former Rhode Island Governor Philip Noel. Noel helped to shape the economic landscape of Warwick and of the State of Rhode Island, creating institutions and policies that continue to have a positive and vital influence in the state. He was raised in Warwick, Rhode Island and began his working life as a commercial fisherman and union laborer. He went on to become a Warwick City Councilman, Warwick Mayor, Governor of Rhode Island, and a successful lawyer and businessman.
Philip Noel
Noel helped to create the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, the Rhode Island Port Authority, and the Department of Economic Development. He was instrumental in bringing General Dynamics Electric Boat to Rhode Island to build submarines, and in developing the business park at Quonset Point, which is now a key employer in the state with nearly 200 companies employing ten thousand Rhode Islanders. New England Tech trains workers for many of the companies that Governor Noel helped bring to Rhode Island. He will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in recognition of his initiative in economic development and his work to improve the lives of Rhode Islanders.
We look forward to seeing you at commencement on Sunday, May 3, 2015 at the Rhode Island Convention Center.