Naomi Judd Receives Honorary Double Doctorate

PHOENIX, AZ. (GCU announcement) - Grand Canyon University made history on May 7 by conferring its first double doctorate honorary degree during their graduation ceremonies. The University bestowed the Doctor of Performing Arts and Doctor of Nursing degrees upon Naomi Judd, who was among several honorary doctorate recipients.'

'Naomi was an unlikely candidate for stardom,' said Brent Richardson, GCU's CEO. 'A single mother on welfare and without health insurance in her twenties, Naomi made the choice to overcome the obstacles that life and her own choices had set in her path.'

Judd worked her way to an RN degree and a decade later, she realized the improbable fantasy of country music fame with her daughter Wynonna while also cheering on daughter Ashley's success in Hollywood. In 1991, Naomi was diagnosed with a potential death sentence – Hepatitis C – which forced her early retirement. Thankfully, Naomi is now completely cured of the Hepatitis that removed her from the spotlight and she is now a highly sought after speaker and New York Times bestselling author.

'Naomi's unwavering optimism, the support of her close-knit family, prayers of fans the world over and her robust Christian faith helped Naomi win back her life,' said Michael Clifford GCU's Vice Chairman. 'She then set out to help others. She learned all she could about women's health concerns, and she sings the benefits of harmony between mind, body and spirit. She advocates health care reform on behalf of the 44 million Americans with no medical coverage, and she often speaks out on domestic violence issues. She's written books aimed at restoring family and finding inner strength, and she has a new book due out soon.'

'Her down to earth attitude and amazing life story make Naomi one of the most admired and inspiring women in the world,' said Richardson. 'Grand Canyon University is honored to recognize her achievements as both an entertainer and a health care professional through the Doctor of Performing Arts and Doctor of Nursing degrees.'

About Grand Canyon University
Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon University is a premier, private, accredited Judeo-Christian university offering bachelor's and master's degree programs in nursing, education, business, science and the arts. It expanded into online higher education in 2001 and is committed to providing students a high quality educational experience, with individual attention from faculty, staff and administrators. Visit GCU online at www.gcu.net.