The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) presented internationally recognized executive and philanthropist, Joseph Neubauer, with a prestigious honorary doctorate degree during the 85th Board of Governors Meeting on June 13th in Jerusalem, Israel.
Mr. Neubauer, who served as chief executive officer of Aramark from 1984-2012, is also widely recognized for his generosity and dedication to higher education as well as civic achievements.
The Neubauer Family Foundation supports innovative programs that advance strategic objectives of university partners. Grants provided by the Foundation help the Hebrew University recruit Arab Israeli faculty and Ph.D. students to ensure that faculty and students reflect Israel’s diversity and reinforce its commitment to research excellence while developing citizen-leaders with valuable knowledge and cutting-edge skills.
At the ceremony, HU President Asher Cohen conferred upon Mr. Neubauer the degree of Doctor Philosophiae Honoris Causa, “in recognition of his ardent support of higher education, which has influenced the lives and careers of countless young people; in admiration of his considerable professional achievements as CEO of Aramark; and in profound appreciation of his many years of devoted service to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, primarily through The Neubauer Family Foundation of Philadelphia, which provides grants to ensure that the next generation of Hebrew University faculty and students reflect the diversity of Israel.”
Acknowledging the accolade, Mr. Neubauer said, “I am honored by Hebrew University’s recognition. I am pleased that Hebrew University has tackled the challenge of creating academic career pathways for minority faculty and graduate students in STEM subjects at the highest levels. Recognizing and developing talent contributes to a stronger, more prosperous Israel and a much healthier democracy.”
In 2016, Pope Francis made him a Knight in the Order of St. Gregory the Great. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2015. In 2013, he received the William Penn Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a businessperson in the greater Philadelphia business community. In 2012, he received the prestigious Philadelphia Award for his lasting contributions to art and culture.
Widely recognized for their extensive civic and Jewish communal leadership, Mr. Neubauer, and his wife, Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer, are staunch advocates of higher education as a means to strengthen individual competency, advance equity, and opportunity, and strengthen civil society.
He earned an M.B.A. at the University of Chicago and an undergraduate degree at Tufts University.
About the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel’s leading academic and research institution. Serving 25,000 students from 90 countries, it produces a third of Israel’s civilian research and is ranked 12th worldwide in biotechnology patent filings and commercial development. Faculty and alumni of the Hebrew University have won eight Nobel Prizes and a Fields Medal. For more information about the Hebrew University, please visit http://new.huji.ac.il/en.
