James M. Betts, ’69, MD’73, a pediatric surgeon, former Olympic Team Physician and volunteer firefighter drawn to helping communities hit by natural disasters, has been selected as the University of Vermont’s 2025 commencement speaker. 

Dr. Betts will address UVM’s newest graduates at the University Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 18. The UVM alumnus is one of three outstanding individuals receiving a 2025 UVM honorary degree. The university will also present its highest honor to former UVM board chair David A. Daigle ’89, whose leadership provided much-needed STEM facilities for UVM faculty and students; and Roy V. Hill II, for invaluable contributions to Vermont’s faith-based, educational, and community institutions. 

UVM honorary degree recipients are recognized for outstanding achievement or service for the benefit of the University of Vermont, the State of Vermont, the nation, and beyond. Each of the 2025 recipients either attended the university as a student or made significant contributions to UVM as a volunteer or employee. 

“As a new class of graduates launches into the world, I can’t imagine three more exemplary role models to draw inspiration from,” said UVM Interim President Patricia Prelock. “In their distinctive ways, James Betts, David Daigle and Roy Hill reflect UVM’s commitment to people and planet—each of them has made UVM a better place through their vision, leadership and dedication to our shared values.”

James M. Betts '69, MD '73: ‘Olympic doctor, firefighter, and friend’
Doctor of Science, honoris causa

Born and raised in Bennington, Vermont, James Betts grew up a block away from his local fire station and he became a member of the local rescue squad in high school. His interest in firefighting and emergency medicine took a back seat when he launched his medical career, with first stops at UVM and the Larner College of Medicine. His education marked the beginning of a long and distinguished career in service to his patients and a tireless devotion to his alma mater. 

A pediatric surgeon and urologist at the University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, Calif., Dr. Betts was the founding director of the hospital’s pediatric trauma program. He responded to multiple crises in California including the 1989 Bay Area earthquake and 1991 Oakland Hills Fire, rendering urgent medical treatment to victims. Drawn to the challenge of responding to needs of patients caught up in natural emergencies, he began serving the Big Sur Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter, the department's medical director and a member of their search and rescue team. In 2015 he received the Department's Firefighter of the Year honor. He currently serves as a duty officer with the fire department on the weekends when he is not on trauma call at the hospital.

From 1979-1983 Dr. Betts was one of the volunteer USOC physicians at their training center in Colorado Springs. He became a founding member of the USOC Anti-Doping Committee and served from 1984-2000. He stayed connected with the Larner College of Medicine, serving in multiple roles, including President of the Larner College Medical Alumni Executive Committee and the Dean’s Advisory Board. For his loyalty and dedication to the College, Dr. Betts received the A. Bradley Soule Award in 2003. The UVM Alumni Association also presented him with its Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his extensive involvement in UVM admissions, career, and alumni programming in the San Francisco Bay area. Dr. Betts served on UVM’s Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2010 and was instrumental in the decision to establish the UVM Foundation—he was a director on the UVM Foundation Board from 2016-2022 and still serves on the organization’s Leadership Council.

David A. Daigle, ’89: ‘One of the most impactful alumni in UVM history’
Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa

David Daigle was born in Burlington, the son of a small business owner. A first-generation college student, he graduated from UVM with a degree in business administration and went on to earn an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He embarked on a career with Capital Group in New York City, where he now works as a partner and fixed income portfolio manager.

Daigle served on UVM’s Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2020, and chaired the Board from 2016 to 2020, a transformational period in UVM history. Described by colleagues as “one of the most impactful alumni in UVM history,” Daigle played a leadership role in the Move Mountains: The Campaign for the University of Vermont, which raised over $581 million. Daigle presided over construction of buildings that reshaped campus life, including the Central Campus Residence Hall, and Discovery and Innovation Halls, which provide state-of-the art facilities for students and researchers in the STEM fields. 

David and his wife Beth Daigle ’89 are members of the UVM Foundation Leadership Council and have given generously to wide variety of programs and initiatives, including the Grossman School of Business, faculty endowments, facilities improvements and student scholarships. In 2023, Daigle received the Distinguished Service Award from UVM’s Alumni Foundation.

Roy V. Hill II: ‘Building cultural bridges through community service'
Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa 

Roy V. Hill II was the first of eight children born into a Haywood County, Tennessee family that placed a high priority on education. “Be somebody; get an education,” an uncle advised him at an early age. Hill soon recognized education was not only a gateway for new opportunities but a call to serve others less fortunate. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Talladega College and a master’s degree from Washington University. 

Prior to moving to Vermont, Hill held leadership positions at Washington University, Dartmouth College and Brown University, and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education and was recruited as director of corporate and foundation relations at UVM. A strong advocate for building bridges through community service, he spearheaded UVM’s educational, research, and cultural partnership with Jackson State University, a historically Black institution in Mississippi. 

Hill has supported many Vermont community, faith-based, and educational institutions. He is a charter member of the Burlington Vermont Area Chapter of the NAACP, past president of the Vermont Ecumenical Council and Bible Society, and former program director for Spectrum Youth and Family Services in Vermont. In addition, he was asked to serve as the Vermont Governor’s representative to the National Black Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. He and his wife Shirley Boyd-Hill are founding members of New Alpha Missionary Baptist Church in Burlington, the only Vermont Baptist Church that worships in an African American tradition. The couple is also responsible for Vermont adopting a statewide “Juneteenth” State Holiday which is celebrated every year on the third Saturday in June.