Dr. Philip Geier, who helps 2,400 international students attend U.S. colleges annually, will receive an honorary degree from Wartburg College at December Commencement.
Geier, a longtime educator, and philanthropist Shelby Davis founded the Davis United World College Scholars Program in 2000. Undergraduate students from nearly 150 countries attend 91 U.S. colleges and universities thanks to $35 million invested annually in the program. Geier will receive his honorary degree Sunday, Dec. 15, at 10:30 a.m., during a ceremony in the Wartburg Chapel.
Wartburg has been a partner in the Davis UWC program since 2007 and has had 82 Davis Scholars, including 62 now on campus with a first-year class of 25. Geier will address the college’s Davis Scholars at their annual luncheon Saturday, Dec. 14.
The aim of the Davis program is “to advance international understanding through education” with the students first completing two years of high school at one of 12 Davis United World College campuses on five continents. They matriculate to leading U.S. colleges and universities, according to the Davis program, “in the belief that these American schools will become more effective learning communities for all their students by becoming more internationally diverse and globally engaged.”
Geier, who holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Williams College and his master’s and doctoral degrees in history from Syracuse University, served as a U.S. Navy officer in Vietnam before launching a career in education that has taken him to positions across the United States and to France and Greece. He also runs Geier Consulting Services with his wife, Amy, advising philanthropists, foundations, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations on strategic ideas and opportunities.
His association with the Davis family includes being program designer and director of Davis Projects for Peace. Philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis — Shelby Davis’ mother — celebrated her 100th birthday in 2007 by committing $1 million annually to fund 100 grass-root projects by college students to help build peace.
Wartburg students have received one of the $10,000 Davis grants during each of the past six years to drill water wells in Nigeria and Ethiopia, fight malaria in Guyana, remove land mines in Cambodia, promote “inclusion” in Iowa, and assist a school in Nepal.