Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster is to give an address at the University of Pennsylvania's 250th commencement in May.
Foster, who graduated magna cum laude from Yale University in 1985, is the winner of two Academy Awards for Best Actress for her performances in 'Silence of the Lambs' (1991) and 'The Accused' (1998).
She will receive an honorary doctor of arts degree at the ceremony on 15 May.
"Jodie Foster is an eminent Ivy League graduate who has achieved tremendous success and influence in the powerful entertainment industry," University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann said in a statement on Tuesday.
Gutmann said that the actress "has used her tremendous talents to bring before an international audience such weighty social issues as violence against women, parent-child relationships and the challenges faced by women in traditionally male professions."
Past commencement speakers at the University of Pennsylvania include U2's Bono, former President Jimmy Carter, and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
