Kansas University has announced its next honorary degree recipients: a civil rights attorney, a nursing research leader and a best-selling mystery author.

The Kansas Board of Regents approved the nominations Wednesday, and the three will be honored during KU’s 2015 Commencement, scheduled for May 17.

Recipients are:

• Jack Greenberg, doctor of laws, for the practice of law to end discrimination and promote social justice. Greenberg argued 40 civil rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, with his co-counsel Thurgood Marshall. He was a guest lecturer at the KU School of Law in July 2011.

• Ada Sue Hinshaw, doctor of science, for outstanding contributions to nursing science. Hinshaw was the first director of the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health, where she’s credited with transforming nursing into a science. She has a bachelor’s degree from and served in leadership positions at KU.

• Sara Paretsky, doctor of letters, for outstanding contributions to the mystery writing field and American literature. Paretsky, a Lawrence High School and KU graduate, is credited with expanding the genre of detective fiction and opening doors for other female writers. She’s famous for her books featuring the feminist detective V.I. Warshawski.

“Our three honorees demonstrate that the success of our society depends on contributions from individuals in a wide range of disciplines,” Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said in a statement. “Through their leadership, each of our honorees has made lasting contributions that improve our nation and world. No matter what disciplines our students are studying, they can look to these three individuals for inspiration.”

Nominations were sought from the KU community and beyond. According to KU, honorary degree recipients, who do not need to be KU alumni, are chosen based on outstanding scholarship, research, creative activity, service to humanity or other achievements consistent with the academic endeavors of the university.