Georgetown University today announced speakers for its 209th commencement exercises, to be held the weekend of May 15-18, 2008.

"This year’s commencement speakers are exceptional individuals representing a diverse array of backgrounds and perspectives," said John J. DeGioia, Georgetown University President. "These men and women have devoted themselves to public service, teaching others and addressing critical global issues. They embody the many kinds of opportunities that await Georgetown graduates."

The 2008 commencement speakers are:

MBA Commencement Ceremony, Kenneth I. Chenault, Chairman and CEO of the American Express Company

Kenneth I. Chenault is chairman and chief executive officer of American Express Company.  He joined the company in September 1981 as Director of Strategic Planning, and rose through the ranks based on performance. He began his career in corporate law as an attorney with Rogers & Wells from 1977 to 1979. Then, he continued for another two years as a management consultant with Bain & Co., before being recruited by American Express. He has received the Phoenix House Public Service Award, the Corporate Responsibility Award from the International Rescue Committee, and the Wall Street Rising Leadership Award, among others. In addition, he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Bowdoin College, a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard University School of Law School, and is the recipient of a number of honorary degrees from several universities.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Jane Lubchenco, Distinguished Professor of Zoology, Oregon State University

Jane Lubchenco is a professor of marine biology at Oregon State University, where she is actively engaged in teaching, research and the communication of scientific knowledge. Her expertise includes coastal ocean ecosystems and the interactions between humans and the environment,with special emphasis on biodiversity, climate change, sustainability science and marine reserves. She is a past president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and has co-founded several organizations that advance ocean sciences. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Colorado College, a Master of Science in zoology from University of Washington and a Ph.D. in ecology from Harvard University.

Georgetown College, Wendy S. Kopp, CEO and Founder of Teach for America

Wendy Kopp is the chief executive officer and founder of Teach for America, the national corps of college graduates who commit to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in pursuit of educational excellence and equity. Kopp proposed the creation of Teach for America in her undergraduate thesis in 1989 and has spent the last 18 years working to sustain and grow the organization. In the 2007-2008 school year, more than 5,000 corps members are teaching more than 400,000 students in needy communities. They join more than 12,000 Teach for America alumni who - still in their 20s and 30s - are already assuming significant leadership roles in education and social reform. She is widely recognized as a leader in education reform. Kopp holds a bachelor's degree from Princeton University.

School of Nursing & Health Studies, Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. was appointed director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on February 5, 2003. Clancy, a general internist and health services researcher, is a graduate of Boston College and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Following clinical training in internal medicine, she was a Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. She also was an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond before joining AHRQ in 1990. Clancy also serves as a clinical associate professor at George Washington University School of Medicine and as senior associate editor of Health Services Research. She is a member of the Institute of Medicine and was elected a Master of the American College of Physicians in 2004.

The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned, Chairperson, The Qatar Foundation

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned is chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. She has been actively engaged in education and social reforms in Qatar and has played a major role in spearheading various national and international development projects. In the fall of 2003, the Qatar Foundation officially inaugurated Education City, a prototypical university of the future that brings campuses of international universities on site in Qatar to share research and community based ventures. Currently, Education City provides innovative educational and research opportunities through partnerships including Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. Her Highness is also president of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, a government institution founded in 1998 with the aim of strengthening the role of family in society. In November 2002, she was appointed vice-chair of the Supreme Education Council, a government institution that oversees Qatar's reform efforts in the K-12 education system. In 2003, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) appointed Her Highness as special envoy for basic and higher education. In 2005 she was selected as a member of the U.N. High Level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations, set up by U.N. secretary general of the UN to develop creative mechanisms for fighting terrorism. Her Highness graduated from the University of Qatar in 1986 with a degree in sociology.

The Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business, Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce

Carlos M. Gutierrez is the 35th secretary secretary of commerce. The former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Kellogg Company, Secretary Gutierrez is a core member of President Bush’s economic team. The secretary regularly travels internationally to visit with foreign government and business leaders to discuss ways to enhance trade and promote U.S. exports. Secretary Gutierrez oversees a cabinet agency with some 38,000 workers and a $6.5 billion budget focused on promoting American business at home and abroad. As co-chair for the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, Secretary Gutierrez is actively involved in U.S. – Cuba policy and also works closely with Congress to pass comprehensive immigration legislation. Born in Havana in 1953, he came to the United States with his family in 1960. He joined Kellogg in 1975 as a sales representative. Rising to president and CEO in 1999, he was the youngest CEO in the company’s nearly 100-year history. Kellogg named him chairman of the board in April 2000. Secretary Gutierrez studied business administration at the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Queretaro, Mexico.

Georgetown University School of Medicine, Ambassador Mark Dybul, United States Global AIDS Coordinator

Ambassador Mark R. Dybul serves as U.S. Global AIDS coordinator, leading the implementation of President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Before coming to the Coordinator’s Office, Dybul was the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) lead for President Bush’s International Prevention of Mother and Child HIV Initiative. At HHS, he also served as the assistant director for medical affairs at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He also served as co-executive secretary of the HHS HIV therapy guidelines for adults and adolescents. He continues to work as a staff clinicial laboratory of immunoregulation at NIAID/NIH and maintains an active role as the principal investigator for clinical and basic research for U.S. and international protocols with an emphasis on HIV therapy, particularly therapy that may be applicable in resource-poor settings, including intermittent therapy and HIV reservoirs and immunopathogenesis. Dybul is a captain in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the uniformed service of HHS. He is also a former member of the World Health Organization's writing committee to develop global HIV therapy guidelines. Dybul received his B.A. and M.D. from Georgetown University before completing his residency in internal medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals and a fellowship in infectious diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Georgetown University Law Center, Joel I. Klein, Chancellor, New York City Department of Education

Joel I. Klein became New York City schools chancellor in July 2002 after serving in positions in government and business. Klein’s comprehensive reform program, Children First, aims to transform New York’s public school system. Before Klein became chancellor, he was chairman and chief executive officer of Bertelsmann, Inc. From 1997 to 2001, Klein worked as assistant attorney general in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division. His appointment to the U.S. Justice Department came after Klein served two years as deputy counsel to President Clinton. Klein entered the Clinton administration after 20 years of public and private legal work in Washington, D.C. He has served as a visiting and adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center and has published several articles in both scholarly and popular journals. He received his B.A. from Columbia University and J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1971.

Georgetown University holds individual commencement ceremonies for each undergraduate and professional school after a series of awards ceremonies and celebrations on campus beginning with senior convocation on Thursday, May 15. Other notable speakers during the weekend include Executive Chairman of Banesto Ana Botin at Senior Convocation and U.S Army, Gen. Dennis J. Reimer, former chief of staff, at the ROTC Commissioning Ceremony.

Source: Office of Communications (May 5, 2008)