Deborah Harkness, historian and author of the All Souls series, will deliver the Bates College Commencement address on May 31, according to an April 9 announcement from the college. Three other individuals—H. Scott Bierman, Ru Gunawardane, and Seema Hingorani—will also receive honorary degrees during the ceremony.
The announcement highlights notable achievements across literature, science, economics, and investment leadership. Bates President Garry W. Jenkins said, “We are delighted to be honoring four outstanding and accomplished individuals alongside the Class of 2026. Each of them has a unique Bates connection — and each of them has made impressive and meaningful contributions to the world and to human understanding.”
Harkness recently retired as professor emerita at the University of Southern California after more than three decades teaching history of science, medicine, and magic. She is known for her best-selling novel A Discovery of Witches—which was adapted into a television series—and will receive a Doctor of Letters degree.
H. Scott Bierman ’77 will be awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his work in economics and higher education leadership. He served as president emeritus at Beloit College following nearly three decades at Carleton College where he contributed significantly to economic theory education.
Ru Gunawardane ’95 is recognized with a Doctor of Science degree for her research in cell biology and drug therapies; she currently leads scientific teams at Seattle’s Allen Institute for Cell Science focusing on cellular organization relevant to disease treatment advancements.
Seema Hingorani receives a Doctor of Humane Letters degree for her efforts advancing gender equity in finance through Girls Who Invest—a nonprofit supporting women’s participation in investment management—and her senior role at Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
The college stated that its 160th Commencement ceremony will begin at 10 a.m., with livestreams available online.
