Faculty Member Frances Whitehead Received Honorary Doctorate from NIU

Frances Whitehead, Professor of Sculpture at SAIC, received an honorary doctorate from Northern Illinois University (NIU) in December. She was recognized for her civic art practice and the role she played in the discipline’s early years. Whitehead’s focus centers in on urban and rural issues. Her artist-driven, social initiatives and programs include Slow Cleanup, the Embedded Artist Program, the Water Table, the Phenologic Garden, and ARTetal studio, sparking change and conversations in urban agricultural planning, climate monitoring, planning of trail and park systems, and more.

“It is NIU’s honor and privilege to award Mrs. Whitehead an honorary doctor of humane letters. She has inspired and transformed communities through her tireless efforts, and she is truly deserving of this recognition,” says Lisa Freeman, Executive Vice President and Provost of NIU.