MUNCIE, Ind. - A Nobel Prize winner, an influential environmentalist and a best-selling author will receive honorary degrees May 4 at Ball State University's spring commencement.

Ball State President Blaine A. Brownell will confer honorary degrees on Nobel Peace Prize winner W. David Trimble, environmental educator David Orr and Sister Helen Prejean, author of the book "Dead Man Walking."

"These are outstanding individuals who have each made significant contributions to the causes of peace, human understanding and a better future," Brownell said. "Ball State is proud to recognize their good work and to have them share with us this very special day for our university community."

Background on the honorary degree recipients:

• Trimble, the leader of Northern Ireland's Protestant Ulster Unionist Party, shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 with John Hume, Northern Ireland's leading Catholic politician, for their roles in setting up a joint government. Trimble is the First Minister of the new legislative Northern Ireland Assembly and continues to be a key negotiator in the peace process. He will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
• Prejean is a Catholic nun whose counseling of a death row inmate led to a best-selling book and inspired the movie "Dead Man Walking." For the past three years she has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Even though Sister Prejean's tireless crusade against capital punishment takes her around the world for nearly 20 speaking engagements per month, she also continues to work with the poor. She will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.
• Orr is a professor of environmental studies at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, and will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree. He is an influential leader in issues relating to the environment, education, design and the future. Orr served as the keynote speaker at all four of Ball State's "Greening of the Campus" conferences.

Each will give a short address.

The university's main ceremony begins at 10 a.m. on the Arts Terrace of the Old Quad. The commencement ceremonies will honor about 2,200 students who will complete degree requirements at the end of spring semester.

After the main ceremony, all graduates will recess and follow their college deans and faculty marshals to their respective ceremonies except the College of Architecture and Planning and the College of Fine Arts. The ceremonies for these two colleges start at 2 p.m.

The main ceremony will be broadcast live Web at www.bsu.edu/commencement/ and on WBSU-TV Channel 5, Muncie's local cable access channel. The pre-commencement concert will start at 9 a.m. and also be broadcast and webcast live. University Relations and the Teleplex are providing the service.

Details about the ceremonies and related activities may be found on the commencement Web site or by calling (765) 285-1689.