It’s possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn’t awarded her an honorary doctor of law degree ( 荣誉法学博士学位 ) and the commencement speaker ( 毕业典礼演讲嘉宾 ) spot at yesterday’s graduation. There’s no question Oprah’s achievements make her in the temple of American success stories. As a former abused teenage mother from rural Mississippi, she became one of the world’s most successful entertainment icons and the first African-American female billionaire, all thanks to her talent, charm, and an exceptional work ethic. Honorary degrees are often given to non-academic leaders in the arts, business, and politics. Harvard’s list in recent years has included Kofi Annan, Bill Gates, Meryl Streep, and David Souter. But Oprah’s particular brand of celebrity is not a good fit for the values of a university whose motto ( 校训 ), Veritas , means truth. Oprah’s passionate advocacy extends, unfortunately, to a hearty embrace of fake science. Most notoriously, Oprah agreed with Jenny McCarthy’s claim that vaccines cause autism ( 自闭症 ), which has no doubt contributed to much harm through the foolish avoidance of vaccines. Famous people are entitled to a few failings, like the rest of us, and the choice of commencement speakers often reflects a balance of institutional priorities and aspirations. Judging from our conversations with many students, Oprah was a widely popular choice. But this vote of confidence in Oprah sends a troubling message at precisely the time when American universities need to do more to advance the cause of reason. As former Dean of Harvard College, Harry Lewis, noted in a blog post about his objections, “It seems very odd for Harvard to honor such a high profile popularizer of the irrational ... at a time when political and religious nonsense so break the rule of reason in this allegedly enlightened democracy and around the world.” As America’s oldest and most visible university, Harvard has a special opportunity to show its respect for science not only through its research and teaching programs but also in its public affirmation of evidence-based inquiry. Unfortunately, many American universities seem awfully busy protecting their brand name and not nearly busy enough protecting the pursuit of knowledge. A recent article in The Harvard Crimson noted the shocking growth of Harvard’s public relations arm in the last five years and it questioned whether a focus on risk management and avoiding controversy was really the best outward-looking face of this great institution. As American research universities begin to be more and more like profit centers and entertainment complexes, it’s easy to lose sight of their primary mission: to produce and spread knowledge. This mission depends on traditions of rational discourse and vigorous defense of the scientific method. Oprah Winfrey’s honorary doctorate was a step in the wrong direction.