The chancellor-designate was one of 17 honorees, including actors, playwrights, corporate executives and others, honored for their influence and leadership.
Projects centered on Joshua trees and Juneteenth are among those receiving funding through the program, which fosters arts and arts-related scholarship.
Zvi Bern, a theoretical physicist, and Leonard Kleinrock, one of the early pioneers of the internet, were recognized for their distinguished original research.