Astronaut and alumnus Leland Melvin heads list of speakers for University of Richmond's 178th commencement
May 1, 2008
A NASA astronaut, U.S. District Court judge, and member of the Public Broadcasting Service board are among speakers participating in the University of Richmond's 178th commencement May 10-11 in the Robins Center.
Ceremonies for the School of Continuing Studies and School of Law will be held May 10 at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. Continuing studies will award 87 associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees, and the law school will award 165 J.D. degrees.
Some 684 baccalaureate and 40 graduate degrees will be awarded at the main commencement ceremony May 11 at 2 p.m. Viola O. Baskerville, Virginia secretary of administration, will be one of two people to receive honorary degrees.
Astronaut Leland Melvin, a 1986 graduate, will speak at the main ceremony May 11. Melvin completed his first space mission, a 13-day journey of 5.3 million miles, in February as a crew member of the space shuttle Atlantis. An expert in robotics, he operated the shuttle's robotic arm to deliver and attach the Columbus Laboratory to the International Space Station. Prior to his career as an astronaut, Melvin played for the NFL's Detroit Lions and was a gridiron standout in college.
Henry E. Hudson, a District Court judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, will speak at the law school ceremony. Hudson is a graduate of American University's School of Law. He is former director of the Department of Justice's U.S. Marshals Service and was a circuit court judge for Fairfax County, Va., when President George W. Bush nominated him for the District Court. He was confirmed in 2002.
Mary G. F. Bitterman, a director and former board chair of PBS is president of the Bernard Osher Foundation. She will speak and receive an honorary degree at the School of Continuing Studies ceremony. The Osher foundation recently awarded a $1 million endowment grant to the university's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Bitterman has previously served as president and CEO of the James Irvine Foundation and president and CEO of KQED Public Broadcasting, a leading public broadcasting center.
Robert E. Rigsby, retired president and chief operating officer of the Dominion Delivery business unit of Dominion Resources, former vice rector of the university and a 1971 alumnus, will receive the Trustees' Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes dedication and meritorious service to the university.
For more information about commencement, visit commencement.richmond.edu.