The 2018 Stamps Commencement celebration will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at the North Campus Research Complex, Building 18.  The celebration includes short speeches by graduating undergraduate and graduate students and a commencement address by alumna, arts advocate, community leader, and philanthropist Penny Stamps.  Penny Stamps will also be awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree at the University Commencement ceremony. The Stamps Commencement ceremony takes place after the 10 am Central Campus Spring Commencement at Michigan Stadium.

About Penny Stamps

University of Michigan alumna, arts advocate, community leader, and philanthropist Penny Stamps’ support for the arts is fueled by her belief in the critical role artists and designers play in solving complex problems, and the importance of sharing their work and perspectives with the public. Ms. Stamps, who grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and lives in Miami, Florida, earned a B.S. degree in design and a teaching certificate (1966) at U-M. She enjoyed a distinguished career at Herman Miller and Kaplan & Fox, Inc. before heading her own residential design firm in the Boston area for 18 years. More than two decades ago, she and her husband E. Roe Stamps created the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation. It has contributed significantly to the University over the years, beginning in 1999 with funding for the popular Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series. She also created the Roman J. Witt Visiting Professor Program in honor of her father, the Stamps Gallery on Central Campus, and Stamps Creative Work Scholarships. In 2006, the Stamps Foundation launched their signature merit scholarship program. Today there are more than 880 current and 700 alumni Stamps Scholars representing 44 institutions throughout the United States. The University of Michigan is proud to have 60 current Stamps Scholars and 141 distinguished Stamps alumni. Her generosity has made possible the Stamps Auditorium on North Campus and the Stamps Student Commons at the Stephen M. Ross Academic Center. In 2012, the Stamps Foundation granted the most generous philanthropic gift ever made to the School of Art & Design. The regents renamed the school the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design in recognition of her support for art and design education. An enthusiastic and loyal alumna, Ms. Stamps co-chaired the Michigan Difference National Campaign Leadership Committee and is a deputy chair of the Victors for Michigan Campaign. She has served on the President’s Advisory Group and advisory councils to the deans of the Stamps School and the School of Education. Michigan recognized her in 2005 with the David B. Hermelin Award for Volunteer Leadership. She is invested in her community, serves on numerous boards, and provides pro-bono design services and philanthropic support for animal, cultural, environmental, and health-related organizations. She helped build the Grayvik Animal Care Center at Ocean Reef and has served on the Humane Society of Greater Miami board since 2011. The greater Miami & The Keys Chapter of the American Red Cross recognized her with its Sara Hopkins Woodruff Spectrum Award for Women. She also received the 2013 National Philanthropy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education recognized the Stamps Foundation with its James L. Fisher Award for Distinguished Service to Education.

Through her contributions as a design professional, community leader and volunteer, and as a philanthropist, Penny Stamps has championed the role of art and design in developing creative solutions and enriched the lives of Michigan students and faculty and thousands of others in Ann Arbor and nationally.

Stamps School of Art & Design Commencement
Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 2 pm
North Campus Research Complex (NCRC), 2800 Plymouth Road, Building 18