The University of Dayton will recognize two distinguished leaders whose lives embody creativity, service and a commitment to the common good — Debbie Blunden-Diggs, chief executive and artistic director of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and Tony Hall, former U.S. ambassador and three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee — with honorary degrees during the University’s fall commencement exercises at 9:45 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, in University of Dayton Arena.

“Debbie Blunden-Diggs and Tony Hall emulate values we strive to instill in our graduates — leadership, creativity and service to others. Debbie’s vision has ensured dance not only thrives as an art form but also serves as a bridge between the University and the broader Dayton community. Tony’s career has been marked by bold advocacy, especially in the fight against hunger,” said Eric F. Spina, University of Dayton president.

Debbie Blunden-Diggs

Blunden-Diggs’ connection to the University is deep, collaborating with UD students and faculty for years. 

Since 2010, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) and UD have partnered to enrich the campus and community through performances, residencies and educational outreach in more than 40 Dayton-area schools. DCDC also is represented on UD’s West Dayton community outreach initiative, further strengthening ties between the University and the community.  

Blunden-Diggs has been recognized nationally for her artistry and community leadership, and her vision has helped UD advance its goals of diversity, inclusion and intercultural learning. Among her many honors are awards from the Congressional Black Caucus, Regional Dance America, Monticello Choreographic Fellowships and the Ohio Arts Council. She received the Black History Month Congressional Award for Community Service from U.S. Rep. Mike Turner for 40 years serving the community through dance and dance education. In 2014, she received the Image of Hope Youth Advocacy Award for helping improve the lives of youth in the greater Dayton area.  

DCDC’s presence on campus has provided students with opportunities for experiential learning, intercultural engagement and artistic growth. The University’s student dance ensemble regularly collaborates with DCDC2, the company’s pre-professional troupe, in annual spring concerts. UD’s Boll Theatre has hosted DCDC performances, and the University’s technical staff and students have supported the company’s productions, giving students hands-on experience in professional-level productions.  

“I am filled with gratitude with being bestowed this honor from the University of Dayton,” Blunden-Diggs said. “My life’s journey has been centered around dance. Having the opportunity to see firsthand how it can create light and joy makes me want to find a way to share it with the world. This honor signals the recognition of my efforts.”

Tony Hall

In 2015, Hall, a Dayton native, Dayton Peace Prize winner and three-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, founded the Hall Hunger Initiative. In 2021, the initiative entered into a formal partnership with UD’s Fitz Center for Leadership in Community to address systemic inequities in the food system and provide opportunities for UD students, faculty and staff to engage in hunger-related research, advocacy and service. Under Hall’s leadership, the initiative has supported projects such as the Gem City Market cooperative grocery store and Miami Valley Meals, advancing food security and justice in the region.

In his roles as a former U.S. representative and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, Hall authored legislation supporting food aid, child survival, primary health care and micro-enterprise programs in some of the world’s poorest countries and led U.S. efforts with United Nations programs advancing the U.S. commitment to alleviate hunger worldwide. 

He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 1992 Silver World Food Day Medal from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, the United States Committee for UNICEF 1995 Children’s Legislative Advocate Award, the U.S. AID Presidential End Hunger Award, the 1992 Oxfam America Partners Award and the Bread for the World Distinguished Service Against Hunger Award.

“To receive an honorary degree from any college is great, but to receive it from the University of Dayton, my hometown university, is very special and humbling,” Hall said.

For more information about the University of Dayton’s fall commencement, visit graduation.udayton.edu.

For more information or interviews, contact Shawn Robinson, associate director of news and communications, at srobinson1@udayton.edu.