Wright State University announced it would award General Wolfenbarger an honorary Doctor of Science degree at its 2013 commencement.
On April 22, 2013, Wright State University publicly announced that General Janet C. Wolfenbarger, commander of Air Force Materiel Command and the Air Force's first female four-star general, would be awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree at the university's upcoming spring commencement ceremony.
The announcement highlighted Wolfenbarger's unprecedented career trajectory, from her entry into the Air Force Academy's first co-ed class in 1976 to her historic promotion to four-star general in 2012. Wright State University, located near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where AFMC is headquartered, had close institutional ties to the Air Force community Wolfenbarger led.
The university's announcement framed the honorary degree as recognition of her sustained excellence in engineering, program management, and military leadership over more than three decades of service, as well as her role as a role model for women pursuing careers in STEM fields and the military.
This announcement preceded the formal conferral of the degree just days later, and it reflected the broader public and institutional recognition Wolfenbarger received throughout 2012 and 2013 as her historic promotion continued to draw attention from academic, military, and civic institutions across the country.