Jo Luck is the former president and CEO of Heifer International
Heifer International provides livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to end hunger and poverty in more than 30 countries. During Ms. Luck's two-plus decades at Heifer, the nonprofit grew from $7 million annually to $130 million and provided assistance to more than four million families in 125 countries throughout the world.
Ms. Luck has received numerous awards including a 2010 World Food Prize. In 2011, she was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the U.S. Agency for International Development's Board for International Food and Agricultural Development. She continues to be an active advocate for empowering the world's poorest people.
Seattle University will confer an honorary doctorate upon Gary Brinson, an SU graduate who after a remarkable career in investment management is making a significant impact on society as a philanthropist.
Gary Brinson, after graduating with a finance degree from the Albers School of Business and Economics in 1966, went on to become a leader and a legend in the investment field. After his firm Brinson Partners was acquired by Swiss Bank, Brinson led the company through its merger with Union Bank Switzerland (UBS). The merged organization was the largest bank in the world, and Mr. Brinson was named head of its combined asset-management arm. At one time in his career, he was managing more than $1 trillion in assets.
After retiring in 2000, Mr. Brinson created the non-profit Brinson Foundation through which he supports a variety of philanthropic initiatives in his home community of Chicago and beyond. Mr. Brinson continues to be committed to his alma mater. He established the Dr. Khalil Dibee Endowed Chair in Finance in honor of his former teacher and mentor in 2004 and has returned to campus on several occasions to share his wisdom with students and the broader community.