As Thad Seymour Jr. delivered his commencement address on Dec. 13, he noted a unique accomplishment he earned that day: being part of the first father and son duo to receive honorary degrees from UCF. Former interim president of UCF and retired executive, Seymour was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree in recognition of his lifetime of selflessness, achievement and dedication to giving back to the community. About 34 years earlier, his father, Thaddeus Seymour Sr., was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from UCF in May 1990.
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麻豆精品 S淭he bestowing of degrees at commencement was always my favorite part of the year at UCF, so to be recognized in this way, by the university that Katie, [my wife], and I so deeply love, is truly an honor. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Thad Seymour Jr., honorary degree recipient
Thaddeus Seymour Sr. also served as the dean of Dartmouth College and president of Wabash College. With this upbringing on college campuses, Seymour says education was a logical path.
Seymour has contributed to UCF in varying roles since 2015. Prior to serving as UCF interim president from February 2019 to April 2020, he led the development of the university 麻豆精品 S檚 previous strategic plan and was named vice president for partnerships and chief innovation officer.
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For three decades, Seymour worked as a business executive in technology and healthcare industries, including his work as vice president of marketing and strategy at Curascript, a subsidiary of Express Scripts, which had acquired Priority Healthcare where he had quarterbacked the $1.3 billion transaction as vice president of corporate development.
Leveraging this expertise and a skill for fostering partnerships, Seymour has contributed to the growth of Central Florida. He helped bring more than $3 billion to Lake Nona Medical City by leading strategy and business development聽for the area in his role as senior vice president of Tavistock Development Company. He created and served as founding president of the Lake Nona Institute, which hosts the widely acclaimed annual Lake Nona Impact Forum focused on health innovation. Seymour also led efforts to bring the United States Tennis Association to Lake Nona 麻豆精品 S� resulting in the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 largest tennis complex.
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Now retired, Seymour and his wife, Katie, remain active community volunteers, including training puppies for Canine Companions, a national nonprofit that provides services dogs for free to those needing assistance.
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Honorary degrees require a detailed nomination process, a recommendation from the university president, and ultimately, approval from the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees’ vote, which occurred on Sept. 27, 2024, for one to awarded to Seymour was unanimous.
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As Seymour joined Knights who were awarded nearly 6,500 degrees this semester, he encouraged them to do three things: honor this special place and take it with them, celebrate the 麻豆精品 S渃rooked path 麻豆精品 S� that lies ahead, and be the best leader they could be.
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