\u201cEach of this year\u2019s honorary degree recipients has made a profound and lasting impact on the communities they serve,\u201d said 溏心vlog免费B站 President Marc Parlange. \u201cThrough their groundbreaking work in technology, business, AI, mentorship, and social welfare, they have continually expanded the horizons of what is possible\u2014always guided by a commitment to leave the world and their communities better than they found them. These are the values we strive to cultivate in our students every day, and I am honored to recognize their extraordinary achievements during our commencement celebrations next month.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is a privilege to welcome this year\u2019s honorary degree recipients, who have demonstrated such dedication to their work, their values, and their communities,\u201d said Barbara Wolfe, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. \u201cTheir impact serves as a powerful example to our students of what they too can achieve, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements at this year\u2019s commencement ceremonies.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n
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Marc Randolph<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Randolph is best known as the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has built a reputation as a serial entrepreneur, founding or co-founding more than half a dozen successful startups. He has also mentored countless early-stage entrepreneurs and invested in a wide range of successful technology ventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most recently, Randolph co-founded Looker Data Sciences, which was acquired by Google in 2019 for $2.6 billion. He currently serves on the board of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming; the Truckee Donner Land Trust; and Cheeze Technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Randolph is the author of the international bestselling memoir \u201cThat Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea.\u201d He is the entrepreneur-in-residence at High Point University, an entrepreneurship leadership fellow at MIT, and a featured investor on Entrepreneur Magazine\u2019s \u201cElevator Pitch\u201d web series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in geology from Hamilton College.<\/p>\n\n\n Daniel L. Harple Jr.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A technology entrepreneur and CEO for more than 30 years, Daniel L. Harple Jr. is considered an internet pioneer who has founded and built technologies, companies, and products used by billions of internet users. He has founded, grown, and merged companies with Netscape Communications, Oracle, and Sina, among others, driving at-scale global innovation and impacting users the world over. These innovations established foundational standards for internet collaboration, media streaming, and VoIP, used daily by billions across platforms such as Zoom, Skype, and YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harple is chair and CEO of Context Labs BV, a company he founded based on his MIT research. The company delivers AI\u2011driven, auditable intelligence for industrial data, carbon management, and compliance. It provides AI-ready data infrastructure for global energy markets, creating context for the world\u2019s most challenging persistent problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Inc. Magazine\u2019s Entrepreneur of the Year, the Red Herring Watch Award, the Upside Hot Startup Award, the 溏心vlog免费B站’s Alumni Excellence Award for Contributions to Science and Technology, and the NEA (New Enterprise Associates) President\u2019s Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harple holds an advanced degree from MIT and bachelor\u2019s degrees in mechanical engineering and psychology from the 溏心vlog免费B站.<\/p>\n\n\n Katherine Angell Brewster<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Brewster has served as CEO of South Kingstown\u2019s Jonnycake Center for Hope for more than a decade, leading the organization through a period of significant growth to become a cornerstone of support for residents facing economic hardship and providing food, financial assistance, housing and youth programming to more than 2,000 individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During her tenure, Brewster has led the organization\u2019s expansion into new initiatives, including the development of affordable housing and the creation of the Jonnycake Youth Center. Her career has spanned direct service and public policy, giving her a deep understanding of the systemic challenges facing families and the practical solutions that help communities thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior to the Jonnycake Center, Brewster was executive director of the Economic Progress Institute, Rhode Island\u2019s leading anti-poverty research and advocacy organization. She has also served on the boards of several prominent organizations, including the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and Thundermist Health Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2022, she was honored with the Murray Family Prize in recognition of her commitment to improving the lives of Rhode Islanders in need. Brewster holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the 溏心vlog免费B站 and a Master of Social Work from Rhode Island College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/04\/Dan-Harple-photo-1024x576.jpeg\")
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