Zierath to receive honorary degree at commencement May 11

April 30, 2019 - Distinguished Alumna Juleen Zierath will be awarded an honorary doctor of science degree during spring commencement May 11 at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

In selecting Zierath, the UWRF External Relations Committee, which serves as the university’s Honorary Degree Committee, acknowledged her distinguished accomplishments as a globally-recognized research scientist and an engaged UW-River Falls graduate. Following her graduation from UW-River Falls in 1984, Zierath went on to complete a Ph.D. in physiology from the Karolinska lnstitutet in Stockholm, Sweden, and conducted post-doctoral research at Harvard Medical School.

Zierath is past chair of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, professor of Clinical Integrative Physiology in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery Section for Integrative Physiology at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, one of the largest and most prestigious medical universities.

Her research focuses on the cellular mechanisms that correspond to the development of insulin resistance in Type II Diabetes. She has received several awards for her work. She has been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences since 2009.

She has returned to UW-River Falls numerous times to interact with faculty and students and has hosted UW-River Falls students and faculty in her research laboratory in Sweden, providing them with unique research experiences in an international setting.

“Being in the teacher education program at UW-River Falls taught me to be a professional,” said Zierath. “I learned that the decisions I made impacted many different things in life, including how I could make a difference in the world.”

Zierath will present a free public lecture, “From UWRF to Chairing the Nobel Prize Committee for Physiology or Medicine: An Unexpected Journey," on Friday, May 10, from 10-10:50 a.m. in the St. Croix Room of the University Center.

For more information, email beth.schommer@uwrf.edu or call 715-425-0662.