Argo Star Ben Affleck Receives Honorary Doctorate from Brown University

Oscar-winning actor and director Ben Affleck received an honorary doctorate degree from Brown University for his achievements in cinema, during the graduation ceremony in Providence, Rhode Island.

"This is a spectacular honor for me," he said, revealing that it was great day for his mother, Christine Anne, who was in the audience, "Not only for the education [notch], but now I surpass Matt Damon."

The Ivy League school honored Affleck with a Doctor of Fine Arts for his work as a director, actor, writer, and producer for the film Argo, which won this year's Oscar for Best Picture.

According to TV Guide, this is the first college degree for Affleck, who attended Occidental College in Los Angeles as well as the University of Vermont, but dropped out after his first semester.

Eve Gail Hoffman, who was invited on stage to represent all the Doctor of Medicine degree candidates, detailed her experience about receiving a hug from Affleck. She also got the opportunity to shake hands with Brown President Christina Paxton.

"You only get to become a doctor once, so I knew he wouldn't turn me down," Hoffman said, "Both of them [her degree and her Affleck embrace] combined makes it the best day of my life."

The 40-year-old actor was among six artists, writers, scientists and educators selected to be given degrees. Others who received honorary doctorates were author and MIT Professor Junot Diaz, retired Stanford University bacteriologist Stanley Falkow, Tougaloo College President Beverly Wade Hogan, medical doctor and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President Risa Lavizzo-Mourey and Miami Dade College President Eduardo Padron.