On Sunday, May 11, Ken Paulson, USA Today editor-in-chief; Sylvia Earle, National Geography oceanographer and explorer-in-residence; and Vernon Jordan, senior director of Lazard Limited and Lazard Group, will address this year's graduating class as the 2008 AU commencement speakers. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer will speak at the Washington College of Law commencement ceremony May 18.
Members of the class of 2008 will each attend one of the four separate ceremonies in Bender Arena, depending on from which AU school they will graduate. One speaker will address each of the ceremonies, and the hope is that the graduates will find their speaker relevant to their specific degree, according to Acting Media Relations Director Maralee Csellar.
"We try to get speakers that fit with each of the ceremonies," Csellar said.
Paulson, one of the founders of USA Today, will speak at the School of Communication and the School of International Service commencement ceremony at 4:30 p.m. One of the first in his field to advocate the publishing of online news, Paulson is the current editor of the print and online editions of USA Today, according to Csellar's April 21 press release.
With his experience at covering international issues, Paulson will be able to relate to communication and international service majors, Csellar said.
Jen Shuman, a senior graduating from the SOC, said she is excited someone as well-known and successful as Paulson is speaking at her graduation. Shuman said she hopes Paulson addresses current events in his speech and provides inspiring words about the graduates' futures.
"Hopefully, he can reassure me that I do indeed have a future," she said. "Maybe he'll offer me a job."
Elissa Robinson, a senior graduating from SIS, said she had hoped her speaker would be someone more connected with that field.
"I also know that last year the speaker was a journalist as well, so maybe a balance between the two, since the ceremonies are together, would be nice," she said.
Earle, an oceanographer and explorer-in-residence for the National Geographic, will speak to the College of Arts and Sciences at 1 p.m. She has led more than 60 underwater expeditions, and her specialty is researching marine ecosystems and developing new deep-sea diving technologies. Earle has also set a solo diving record with a dive of 3,300 feet, according to Csellar's April 21 press release.
Sam Losben, a senior in CAS, said while oceanography is not what first comes to her mind when she thinks of CAS, she expects Earle to bring an interesting viewpoint to the ceremony. "I feel like it's an interesting choice," she said.
Jordan will speak to graduates of the Kogod School of Business and the School of Public Affairs at 9 a.m. He is currently the senior director of Lazard Ltd. and Lazard Group, a prominent financial advisory firm, and has also served as a member of President Bill Clinton's transition team during the 1990s, according to Csellar's press release.
Barron Weyerhaeuser, a senior in SPA, had followed Jordan's career in the Clinton administration.
"That's an awesome speaker to have," he said. "I'm very happy with it."
Breyer will address Washington College of Law graduates during the school's commencement ceremony at 1 p.m. May 18. Breyer was appointed to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, and became the court's chief judge 10 years later. Throughout the years, Breyer has been a renowned member of the court and has appealed to moderate members of both the Democratic and Republican parties, according to Csellar's press release.
The process of selecting the commencement speakers began last fall with nominations from the deans and senior class officers, Csellar said. AU President Neil Kerwin then began contacting nominees to determine their availability, and AU announced its decisions the week of April 13.
