2013 Honorary Degree Recipient

Stephen Nicholas
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), honoris causa

Committed to health care education and improving the human condition, Stephen W. Nicholas, M.D. is hailed as a pioneer in the care of HIV-infected children and an advocate for the medically underserved across the globe.

Born and raised in Casper, Nicholas first earned an associates’ degree from Casper College and then a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Wyoming before moving on to the University of Colorado School of Medicine to earn his M.D. When he started his residency in New York City in the early 1980s, the world was just being confronted by a poorly understood malady that would reach epidemic proportions—Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS. With its effects on mothers and babies not yet fully recognized, Nicholas knew then “I did not want to take care of dying children,” and thus began an illustrious career committed to fighting pediatric AIDS. Named one of the “Best Doctors in America,” Nicholas is acclaimed as a prolific academic scholar who has created successful, innovative community-based educational experiences for medical and public health students in the U.S. and for exporting these model programs to areas ravaged by HIV/AIDS across the world.

For all of your contributions, Stephen W. Nicholas, the University of Wyoming is honored to bestow upon you the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.