Actor Joseph Sikora and Producer Marcos ‘Kosine’ Palacios to Receive Honorary Degrees at Columbia's 2025 Commencement

PhotoLeft to right: Marcos ‘Kosine’ Palacios and Joseph Sikora alumni of Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago will award honorary Doctor of Arts degrees to acclaimed actor Joseph Sikora ’98 and Grammy-nominated producer and cultural innovator Marcos “Kosine” Palacios ’06 at the 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 18, at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago.

Both honorees are alumni of Columbia and will address graduates, families, faculty, and guests during the ceremony. The college continues to celebrate its 135-year legacy of nurturing creative talent in liberal arts, technology, media, and business throughout 2025.

Columbia’s longstanding tradition of honoring outstanding figures in arts, media, and education continues this year with two exceptional individuals whose creative journeys were shaped at the college and have since made significant impacts on the global entertainment landscape.

“Joseph Sikora and Marcos Palacios exemplify the values Columbia College Chicago holds dear: creativity, resilience, and the drive to inspire change through artistic expression,” said Jerry Tarrer, interim president and chief executive officer of Columbia College Chicago. “We are honored to welcome them back to campus and celebrate their remarkable achievements.”

Sikora and Palacios are homegrown talents who have become recognizable entertainers beyond the city of Chicago. Sikora started his career on the stage at the age of ten and attended Columbia to study theatre and has spent more than three decades performing on stage and screen.

“I give so much credit to Columbia because the preparation and the real-world experience students get is unmatched,” says Sikora. “It’s an honor to be asked back and share my experience with the graduates.”

Palacios excelled musically as both a songwriter and a producer after graduating with a degree in music business. He’s known for crafting chart-topping hits and has reinvented himself as an artist, saxophonist, and music educator.

“I am truly honored to be recognized by Columbia, and excited to return to campus for such a meaningful occasion for the Class of 2025,” says Palacios.

Both have remained dedicated to uplifting the communities that shaped them and serve as role models for aspiring artists and creatives emerging from Columbia and beyond.

About the 2025 Honorary Degree Recipients

Joseph Sikora, a native of Chicago and alum of Columbia’s theatre program, is best known for his breakout role as Tommy Egan in the hit STARZ crime drama “Power” and its spinoffs. His film and television credits include standout roles in “Ozark,” “True Detective,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “Shutter Island,” as well as performances opposite Tom Cruise (“Jack Reacher”), Jason Statham (“Safe”), and Emma Stone (“Maniac”). Sikora is also an accomplished stage actor, having performed on stages from Broadway to Chicago storefront theaters, earning both Jefferson and Ovation nominations.

Joseph Sikora will be honored at 4:30 p.m. on May 18 proceeding the ceremonies for American Sign Language, audio arts, dance, design, fine arts, illustration, interactive arts and media, music, photography, and theatre.

Marcos “Kosine” Palacios, also Chicago-born and an alum of Columbia’s music business program, rose to fame as one-half of the hitmaking production duo Da Internz, crafting chart-toppers for Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Big Sean, and Nas. Today, Kosine is a multi-hyphenate force in music and culture—evolving as an artist, saxophonist, actor, and motivational voice. Through his own story of reinvention and purpose, he inspires a new generation to lead with passion and perseverance.

Marcos Palacios will be honored at 11 a.m. on May 18 proceeding the ceremonies for business and entrepreneurship, communication, creative writing, cultural studies, English, fashion studies, and film and television.

Columbia will confer undergraduate and graduate degrees on more than 1,000 students marking a celebration not only of academic achievement, but of the power of storytelling and performance in today’s creative economy.

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