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CISCO CEO to address grads at his alma mater, receive honorary degree
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- What could be more gratifying than to receive an honorary degree from your alma mater and to look into the eyes of future leaders and give them a few success tips?
Cisco Systems CEO and West Virginia University alumnus John T. Chambers will experience that feeling Sunday, May 13, when he gives the 1:30 p.m. main address at WVU's 132nd Commencement at the WVU Coliseum.
Chambers, a native of Charleston, W.Va., joined Cisco -- the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet -- in 1991. He is a graduate of WVU's College of Business and Economics (Class of '71) and WVU's College of Law (Class of '74), and currently serves on the WVU Foundation's National Campaign Committee.
Business Week recently referred to Chambers as "Mr. Internet," and Worth magazine named him the No. 1 CEO in America. In addition, Fortune magazine listed Cisco as one of the top three places to work and the second most admired company in America.
WVU will honor its native son with the honorary doctor of law degree.
Also receiving honorary degrees will be West Virginia's 33rd governor and former congressman, Bob Wise, receiving the doctor of law degree, and inventor of the Kentucky Fried Chicken collectramatic pressure fryer, Winston L. Shelton, a 1948 WVU electrical engineering graduate, receiving an honorary doctor of science degree.
WVU will award more than 2,700 degrees on May 13 -- three of them to the first graduates of the world's only bachelor's degree in forensic identification. Since May 13 is Mother's Day it is only fitting that one of these initial graduates is a mom -- Kelly Ayers, 27, of Romney, W.Va. Ayers begins a new job with the Asheville, N.C., Police Department the day after graduation.
Other dignitaries on Sunday's commencement program include Chancellor J. Michael Mullen, offering remarks on behalf of the state Higher Education Policy Commission; and Student Government Association President David Workman, addressing the Class of 2001.
Receiving the Order of Vandalia on Saturday, May 12, for extraordinary service to the state and to WVU are: retired WVU Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology William W. Fleming of Morgantown; Chief Justice of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia Charles H. Haden II of Charleston (B&E Class of '58; Law '71, WVU) ; Charleston insurance executive Peter S. White; and former WVU otolaryngology professor and current physician, Dr. Ronald L. Wilkinson, also of Charleston.
Graduates and their families may also tour the new Student Recreation Center, set to open in June, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Tours of the Evansdale Campus facility take about 45 minutes, and visitors are advised to wear comfortable, close-toed shoes.
All entrances to the Coliseum will be open at noon Sunday; tickets are not required for admission.
The WVU Choir and WVU Wind Symphony will perform during the ceremony.
Candidates for doctoral and professional degrees will receive their diplomas during the ceremony; all other degree candidates will receive their diplomas after commencement at previously announced distribution points.
Special seating is available for guests with physical limitations as well as guests requiring the services of signers on the platform by calling 304-293-2769.
Grads can relive all the memories of the commencement ceremony by ordering a 2001 special edition video from WVU's Television Productions ($23.95, plus $3.50 shipping and handling). Make checks payable to WVU Television Productions and send them to: P. O. Box 9850, Morgantown, WV 26506-9850. Send with your name, address, city, state and zip code.
For more information about WVU's commencement, visit the web site at http://www.wvu.edu/commencement/.
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