Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Karen Buchwald Wright, President and CEO of Ariel Corporation. The honorary doctorate will be awarded during the Spring 2015 Commencement ceremony that will take place on May 16 at 10 a.m.

Karen Buchwald Wright was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Her family moved to Springfield, Ohio when she was four, but returned to Mount Vernon eight years later in 1966 when her father, Jim Buchwald, founded Ariel Corporation. She graduated from St. Olaf College, with a degree in ethology (wildlife research) in 1974 and moved back to Mount Vernon in 1980 to begin her career at Ariel. From 1983 to 1997, she worked at the family business part time while raising her four sons, and then went on to become the President of Ariel in 2001. Eight years later, in 2009, Wright started the Ariel Foundation with the aim of improving the quality of life for residents of her hometown, Mount Vernon, Ohio.

As a part of her efforts to benefit Mount Vernon and support the impact of MVNU on the community, Wright has partnered with the University, donating two buildings downtown: The Buchwald Art Center and Hunter Hall, which houses MVNU’s nursing program. She has also made possible the construction of Ariel Arena, the new state-of-the-art home of Cougar athletics. Her most recent contribution to MVNU has been through the former Historic Curtis Inn, scheduled to open in the fall of 2015. It is her hope that this hotel will connect MVNU with the community so that the downtown area can be revitalized and repurposed.

In addition to the many other contributions that Wright has made to the city of Mount Vernon, she has also partnered extensively with the George Washington Library, the Wounded Warfighter Project, World Vision, WRA Scholarship Fund, Miami University Engineering Scholarship program, The Leelanau School Endowment Fund, and the Great Conversations courses at her alma mater, St. Olaf College. Wright has demonstrated incredible leadership and generosity through her desire to leave an impact on the world and her community.

“Wright’s leadership in the Mount Vernon community deserves the recognition afforded by the Doctor of Humane Letters degree,” says MVNU President Dr. Henry Spaulding. “Her generosity to Mount Vernon Nazarene University is reflective of her support for many other worthy causes in Knox County and beyond. The honorary degree recognizes her contribution to society as well as the depth of understanding of life. The University is proud to have the opportunity to formalize the general understanding and appreciation of her willingness to be a positive influence in the world.”