Binghamton University announces three honorary degree recipients

Binghamton University announced that alumni Nana Banerjee, William H. Groner, and Susan Marenoff-Zausner will receive State University of New York (SUNY) honorary doctorates this year during the University’s Commencement, May 14-16, 2026.

• Nana Banerjee, PhD ’96, will be awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters during the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science Commencement ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, May 15, 2026.
• William H. Groner ’77 will be awarded the Doctor of Laws during the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences Commencement ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
• Susan Marenoff-Zausner ’87 will be awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters during the School of Management Commencement ceremony at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2026.

The recipients will present remarks following the awarding of their honorary degrees. All three ceremonies will be held in the Events Center on Binghamton’s campus in Vestal, New York.

Binghamton University’s Office of the President invites nominations of individuals representing what the University values and strives to instill in its graduates. Their accomplishments may be scholarly, artistic, or a life of outstanding service. Nominees are considered by the President’s Honorary Degree Advisory Committee, the SUNY chancellor, the SUNY Honorary Degree Committee, and the SUNY Board of Trustees before honorees are selected. Recipients are recognized with a SUNY honorary degree: Doctor of Fine Arts, Doctor of Humane Letters, Doctor of Laws, or Doctor of Science. In awarding honorary degrees, Binghamton University celebrates the recipients’ achievements and acknowledges their unique relationship with the University.

Nana Banerjee, PhD ’96

Banerjee is a business leader, strategist, and investor in purpose-driven companies who has a track record of building, transforming, and scaling high-impact businesses across several sectors.

He has previously served as the chief executive officer of Pelmorex, a leader in climate science and public-alerting systems, and of McGraw-Hill Education, a global leader in providing content, software, and services for educators from K-12 to higher education. At Pelmorex, he led the development of the Your Weather Assistant application, a comprehensive repository of climate information that delivers personalized recommendations and educates the public. During his time at McGraw-Hill Education, he led the company’s global growth, the integration of data and technology into its services, and its merger with Cengage.

Banerjee previously served as a senior advisor to the CEO at Cerberus Capital Management, a multistrategy investment firm; as group president at Verisk, a data analytics and risk assessment firm; and as the COO at Argus, an information analytics company. He additionally served as head of Citibank’s credit card business in the United Kingdom and was vice president of marketing at GE Capital.

He is a member of many boards, including CoStar Group, the Binghamton University Foundation, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator. An active contributor to educational and research communities, he has also chaired the boards of Comscore, Red River Technologies, and Northern Westchester Hospital.

As a Binghamton student, Banerjee worked on research funded in part by NASA to identify cracks in airplanes. His work was published in the Journal of Scientific Computing, and he was granted a U.S. patent for a system and method of monitoring, managing, and valuing credit accounts. He frequently shares his expertise and experience with Binghamton students and the University’s alumni community and has launched the Peggy Slavik Summer Student Internship and the Professor Jim Greer Scholarship.

Banerjee is a graduate of St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, India. He earned a master’s degree in mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technology before embarking on his doctorate in systems science from Watson College.

William H. Groner ’77

Groner is a lawyer, educator, author, and social entrepreneur whose career has been shaped by a deep commitment to justice, dialogue, and human connection.

A co-founder and managing partner of Worby Groner Edelman LLP, Groner spent 35 years practicing personal injury, products liability, medical malpractice, and toxic exposure litigation. For more than 10 years, he co-managed a mass tort — described as one of the most complex in American legal history — for more than 10,000 Sept. 11, 2001, first responders, construction workers, and volunteers who were exposed to toxins at Ground Zero during the post-attack clean up. He was a principal negotiator of the resulting settlement, which awarded victims and their families more than $800 million. Groner authored 9/12: The Epic Battle of the Ground Zero Responders, with proceeds supporting the creation of a national social studies program for students focusing on empathy, respect, communication, and compromise.

Groner is also the founder and CEO of Settle Systems Arbitration and Mediation Alternative Dispute Resolution, the co-founder of the Positive Connection Initiative, and the host of “The Connection Effect” podcast.

He has returned to campus several times to speak to students and has hosted webinars for alumni. Groner has been a multi-term member of Binghamton’s Alumni Association Board of Directors, served as an Alumni Global Days of Service project captain, and is the creator and organizing team leader of the Talks that Inspire, Educate, and Resonate (TIER Talks) series. In 2023, he co-created the Civil Dialogue Project at the University, which provides workshops for first-year students that teach skills in communicating positively, particularly with those with whom they disagree.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Binghamton in 1977, Groner graduated from the Boston University School of Law. He earned a master’s degree in applied positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania in 2024. Groner has previously served as an adjunct at the Boston University School of Law and gave the school’s annual Shapiro Lecture in 2021.

Susan Marenoff-Zausner ’87

Marenoff-Zausner, president of the Intrepid Museum, located on a World War II-era aircraft carrier in New York City, has transformed it into a globally recognized cultural and educational institution. She is the first woman to serve as the museum’s president.

Since her tenure began in 2011, Marenoff-Zausner has led initiatives to expand the museum’s offerings and connect with new audiences. The museum has added major attractions, including the Space Shuttle Enterprise, and has undergone a $115 million renovation project that restored historic spaces, refurbished display aircraft, and introduced interactive exhibits to ensure long-term sustainability. The museum’s award-winning school and after-school programs have become an integral part of the New York City Education Department’s programming. More than 40,000 young people participate in the museum’s STEM programs, and professional development opportunities for teachers indirectly benefit an additional 15,000 students. Additionally, the museum has increased access for individuals with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities. Marenoff-Zausner’s leadership has resulted in annual attendance growing to more than one million visitors, and corporate, foundation, and individual giving have increased by 160%.

Before becoming the museum’s president, Marenoff-Zausner served as its executive director, chief marketing officer, and executive vice president for business development.

Marenoff-Zausner’s previous career roles included several sports-related positions. She was vice president of sales and client services for Madison Square Garden, general manager of the New York Power of the Women’s United Soccer Association, New York/New Jersey venue director for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and director of global marketing for the Women’s Tennis Association Tour.

She is a member of the boards for NYC & Company, the Englewood Health Foundation, the Jewish Community Center on the Palisades, and Small Communities Incentive Grants, which offers scholarships for underserved children to attend sleep-away camps.

Stream Commencement ceremonies

All Commencement ceremonies will be available to watch live on the University’s YouTube channel.