Monday, Apr 7, 2025
Honorary degrees to be awarded on May 17
by Adam Grybowski
A United States senator and a distinguished composer of choral music will be honored during СÓÅÊÓƵ’s 2025 Commencement ceremonies at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, on Saturday, May 17.
The Honorable Andy Kim, U.S. Sen. from New Jersey, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws during the undergraduate ceremony, while Dr. Rosephanye Powell ’87 will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Music during the graduate and doctoral ceremony.
The Honorable Andy Kim, U.S. Sen. from New Jersey
The Honorable Andy Kim has served as New Jersey’s senator since 2024. A lifelong public servant, he is the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate and New Jersey’s first Asian American senator. Previously, he represented his home district in the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms, serving parts of Burlington, Ocean, Mercer and Monmouth counties.
During his tenure in the House, Sen. Kim focused on national security and supporting U.S. service members, veterans and their families as a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees. He also championed small businesses on the House Small Business Committee and addressed major challenges on the Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis and the Select Committee on Strategic Competition with China.
Before serving in Congress, Sen. Kim held roles at USAID, the Pentagon, the State Department and the White House National Security Council. He also advised Generals David Petraeus and John R. Allen in Afghanistan. In the Senate, Sen. Kim is dedicated to combating corruption, strengthening democracy, building an inclusive economy and enhancing national security.
2024 marked 50 years since his parents immigrated from South Korea. Raised in South Jersey, he is now a proud husband and father of two.
Dr. Rosephanye Powell ’87
Dr. Rosephanye Powell ’87 is widely recognized as one of America’s most distinguished choral composers.
Her works have been performed in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Spivey Hall and London’s Cadogan Hall. Ensembles including Cantus, the St. Olaf Choir and the Grammy-winning Chanticleer have premiered her compositions, which are published by leading organizations such as Hal Leonard Corporation, Gentry Publications and Oxford University Press.
Powell has led all-state and honor choirs nationwide and shared her expertise internationally in Italy, Australia and the United Kingdom. She is a professor and coordinator of voice studies at Auburn University, where she teaches applied voice, vocal literature and vocal pedagogy. She also conducts the women’s chorus and co-conducts the concert and gospel choirs. In 2022, Harvard University honored her with the Luise Vosgerchian Teaching Award for her contributions to music and arts education.
Powell earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Alabama State University (summa cum laude), a master’s degree in vocal performance and pedagogy from Westminster Choir College and a doctorate in vocal performance from Florida State University.
Her accolades include the American Choral Directors Association’s 2025 Raymond Brock Commission, the Living Legend Award from California State University’s African Diaspora Sacred Music Festival and the Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2023, she was awarded Honorary Life Membership in the National Collegiate Choral Organization and received the National Vanguard Award from the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc.
For more information about СÓÅÊÓƵ’s 2025 Commencement ceremonies, visit rider.edu/commencement.