CICS Alumna Major General Jody J. Daniels to Receive Honorary Degree

UMass Amherst College of Information and Computer Sciences alumna Major General Jody J. Daniels (M.S. '93, Ph.D. '97) will receive an honorary degree during the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

Daniels is the commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve's 88th Readiness Division stationed at Fort McCoy, Wis., and senior commander at Fort McCoy. She oversees the services and base operations support for more than 55,000 soldiers and civilians at 277 sites, spanning 19 states in the northwestern U.S.

Daniels earned a master's and Ph.D. in computer science at UMass Amherst; she was advised by Emerita Professor Edwina Rissland. She says she chose the university based on the reputation of the computer science department and the compelling research in artificial intelligence that was taking place at UMass in the late 1980s. With UMass' emphasis on interdisciplinary work, she was introduced to a range of areas and a large body of research. "It gave me an awareness of areas I would never have known anything about and has helped me appreciate the value of diverse perspectives." She went on to complete a master's in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

With over 35 years of military service, Daniels has held a variety of key positions. She served in support and leadership roles for the U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, as commanding general of the 87th Army Reserve Support Command (East) in Birmingham, Ala., and deputy commanding general, support, for First Army Division East, in Fort Meade, Md. She has served as commander of Theater Support Command, which consisted of 11 military intelligence (MI) battalions, and in numerous leadership positions, including command of a MI company in Korea, a basic training battalion in New Jersey, and an MI group in Massachusetts. Most recently, Daniels was chief of staff of U.S. Forces Command.

Major General Jody J Daniels' dedication and hard work have earned her an honorary degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst as recognition of her commitment to alumni excellence. As an alum of the College of Information and Computer Sciences, Daniels has proven consistent herself a diligent and highly admirable member of our community.

Honorary degree recipients are nominated by UMass Amherst faculty, staff, students, or alumni for outstanding contributions to their respective fields. Factors considered include distinguished intellectual, social or creative achievements in a specific field of endeavor and/or having made extraordinary contributions to the University or to the Commonwealth.

In addition to receiving an honorary degree, Daniels is a 2014 recipient of a UMass Amherst Distinguished Alumni Service Award and a 2010 recipient of UMass Amherst College of Information and Computer Sciences Outstanding Achievement and Advocacy Award. 

Excerpted from a UMass Amherst Office of News and Media Relations release, "Honorary Degree Recipients Announced for UMass Amherst Commencement."