The 2025 Grand Honoree recognition awarded by The Community House (TCH), a local nonprofit that helps other nonprofits, was given to Oakland University’s President, Ora Hirsch Pescovitz for her impact on higher education and the Metro Detroit community.
“Anybody who has seen Ora tackle anything knows that she does with relentless energy, but more importantly, she couples with measured and thoughtful consideration, which only a true leader knows how to do,” Camille Jayne, Board Chair and interim President of TCH, said. “She and her team have led Oakland University to be the excellent university it is today, and also led a much deeper impact of partnership in the community. And we applaud you for that, thank you.”
The honoree award is given to those who embody the four pillars of vibrancy at The Community House: education, culture, wellness and philanthropy. Thus on April 11, local community members and various OU administrators were invited to downtown Birmingham to celebrate Pescovitz in her latest accomplishment.
The Community House’s main hall erupted with applause during a three course meal — a fundraising effort to support the arts and volunteer programs — to celebrate the OU president. Congratulations expanded beyond the building with a video presentation in which former collaborator of Pescovitz, Dr. Joseph A. Majzoub, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School expressed his gratitude for her.
“I’ve known Dr. Pescovitz for many years in our field of pediatric endocrinology, where she was well known as an innovative investigator and clinician,” Majzoub said. “Dr. Pescovitz was known as a stellar clinician, as a gifted educator and as a teacher of young doctors. I personally saw this in action when Dr. Pescovitz visited us in Boston to give lectures at Harvard Medical School.”
In the same commemoration video, the OU president championed the university and its students for enhancing the pillars of vibrancy.
“The students that come to Oakland University, they are uniquely transformed by the educational experience that they get when they get the opportunity to attend Oakland University,” Pescovitz said. “I really love to see us become much more of a cultural hub. I love all forms of liberal arts and all forms of art and culture, and I really do believe that they enrich the lives of our individual students, but also of our community.”
Later invited to speak in front of the attendees, the Grand Honoree confessed to feeling undeserving of the award at first, explaining that her team does all the work and she gets all the recognition.
“When Camille notified me that I was supposed to get this recognition, I did everything in my power to try to decline it,” Pescovitz said. “I previously had gotten one of these pillar awards, and I thought it was time for someone else to get one of these. ‘Well,’ Camille said, ‘I have to come meet with you in your office.’ And she sat down in my office with me, and she would not leave.”
Between laughter and cheers as her words continued, Pescovitz explained that she had thus accepted the award to advance the collective accomplishments of the university and its community partnerships like TCH.
“I came to Oakland University eight years ago because I recognize the enormous potential that we have to impact the lives of our students, individually and the community as a whole,” Pescovitz said. “I really want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Board of Directors of The Community House and the entire team.”
Concluding the night of long dresses and ornate halls, the OU president called for attendees to keep supporting the programs at TCH, at the university and across the state to revitalize the community.
“Tonight, as we celebrate The Community House and the values that we share, I encourage each of us to reflect on how we can continue to learn, to earn and to return,” Pescovitz said. “Let us commit to advancing the pillars of education, culture, wellness and philanthropy.”
