Release date: May 12, 2008
Contact: Beverly Cox Clark at 404-712-8780 or beverly.clark@emory.edu

Psychiatrist, Educator Mary Jane England to Receive Honorary Degree From Emory May 12

Mental health advocate Mary Jane England will receive an honorary doctor of science degree during Emory University’s commencement Monday, May 12. An influential child psychiatrist, administrator and educator, England joins three other honorary degree recipients this year: Home Depot co-founder and philanthropist Bernie Marcus, who will deliver the keynote address; author Ernest J. Gaines; and biologist Edward O. Wilson.

A native of Boston, England is president of her alma mater, Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, where she was a pre-med student. “In college I was often in the chemistry lab during the day and working theater and dramatic productions or reading a variety of subjects in the evening,” England states in her National Library of Medicine biography. “This kind of education enabled me to move freely in different sectors in the development of my career. Whether in medicine, public service, policy-making or business, I felt comfortable making the connections and interpreting the data.”

As a psychiatrist, England has focused on issues of community and family policy. She has served as commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services and president of the American Women’s Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the Washington Business Group on Health. She has served on numerous boards in the fields of public health, including task forces and work groups of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Mental Health and the Department of Health and Human Services. England also raised a family and is the mother of three and grandmother of two.

Under England’s leadership, Regis College has evolved from a Catholic women’s college into a co-ed institution at the undergraduate level. She launched a revised curriculum for students of the 21st century, and expanded Regis College graduate programs to better serve the changing needs of health care. England’s many honors include the Action for Boston Community Development Award; the Elizabeth Blackwell Award from the American Women’s Medical Association; and the Saul Feldman Award from the Summit of the American College of Mental Health Administration.

Emory University (www.emory.edu) is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate experience, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. Perennially ranked as one of the country's top 20 national universities by U.S. News & World Report, Emory encompasses nine academic divisions as well as the Carlos Museum, The Carter Center, the Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, Georgia’s largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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