Cal State East Bay to Confer Honorary Degrees to Wayne Jordan, Kristi Yamaguchi and Dana King

Each spring, the California State University awards honorary degrees to distinguished individuals who demonstrate excellence in areas that benefit CSU campuses, the state, nation, world or humanity.

This year, Cal State East Bay will confer honorary degrees to three exemplary Bay Area locals — Wayne Jordan, Dana King and Kristi Yamaguchi — at its May 12-15 commencement ceremonies.

Jordan, a real estate developer and philanthropist, will be honored at the May 12 ceremony celebrating the classes of 2020 and 2021. Jordan is a nationally recognized business, community and civic leader with deep ties to Oakland. He serves on several boards focused on housing and racial justice and serves as a role model in the world of philanthropy by engaging and supporting organizations dedicated to advancing racial justice and addressing structural racism.

King has uplifted and informed communities of color through journalism and art. Formerly an award-winning broadcast journalist, she took up sculpting in retirement and crafts historical pieces depicting notable figures in African American history. As a journalist, King was a news anchor and reporter at KPIX where she won five Emmy awards and covered everything from the genocide in Rwanda to the aftermath at Ground Zero following the September 11 attacks. She will be honored during the May 14 morning commencement ceremony for several College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences departments. 

Yamaguchi is an Olympic gold medalist, former professional figure skater, New York Times best-selling author, philanthropist and entrepreneur. A third-generation Asian American, Yamaguchi was born in Hayward and is best known for winning the gold medal for ladies singles ice skating at the 1992 Olympics. She overcame several hurdles on her journey to success. In 1996, Yamaguchi created the Bay Area-based Always Dream Foundation which is focused on early childhood literacy and access to high-quality books in underserved communities. Yamaguchi will be honored at the May 15 morning ceremony for the teacher education department within the College of Education and Allied Studies.