Yale President receives honorary doctorate in Israel

Israel's University of Haifa this week awarded Yale University President Peter Salovey, PhD with an honorary doctorate.

The honorary doctorate for Salovey comes in recognition of his groundbreaking research and scientific contributions in the field of psychology and more specifically, as a pioneer of the concept of emotional intelligence — a person’s ability to identify, evaluate, and manage their own feelings and the feelings of others — along with John D. Mayer. In an academic journal article in 1990, Salovey and Mayer were the first researchers to formally use and define the term emotional intelligence.

As the Ivy League school’s 23rd president and its Chris Argyris Professor of Psychology, Salovey has led the development of new programs and facilities across Yale’s schools and departments, including restructuring the leadership of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and opening two new residential colleges. He is advancing innovative teaching on campus; amplifying Yale’s partnerships in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world; and enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration and entrepreneurial opportunity for faculty and students.

Salovey, a descendant of the famed Soloveitchik rabbinic dynasty, urged students to commit themselves to tikkun olam — the Jewish value of repairing the world — in his commencement speech at Yale in 2015. He is known for his commitment to increasing access to a Yale education for students worldwide regardless of their financial background.

“Prof. Salovey’s outstanding leadership is a tremendous inspiration in the world of higher education, and we are grateful to him for his pioneering research, as well as for his strong ties with Israeli academia in general and University of Haifa in particular,” said University of Haifa President Prof. Ron Robin.

Founded in 1701, Yale is America’s third-oldest institution of higher learning and is consistently ranked among the world’s top 10 universities, including 8th in the most recent global rankings published by Times Higher Education in September 2018.