Popular south Indian actor and theatre personality Girish Karnad will be conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.Girish Karnad is the first person to be honored by USC commencement ceremony on Friday, the 13th of May 2011. Steven A Ballmer, chief executive officer, Microsoft Corporation and Herala Zur Hausen, virologist and Nobel laureate will share the honour on that day with Karnad.
In a letter to Karnad, president of the university C L Max Nikias said the degree was being bestowed on him “to honour his pioneering contribution as a playwright as well as the seminal role he has played in shaping modern Indian theatre.”
The honour also “recognises your stellar accomplishments as a writer, actor and director for film and television,” Max Nikias said his communication. Girish Karnad has acted in films in many languages and directed some award winning Kannada movies.
