Newswise — U.S. Surgeon General and Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona will address more than 1,800 undergraduate students at Northeastern University's undergraduate commencement exercises on May 1, 2004, at 10 a.m. at the FleetCenter in Boston. He will also receive an honorary doctorate of public service. From humble beginnings as the son of Puerto Rican immigrants and a high school drop out, Carmona worked his way up to one of the highest offices in the nation. On August 5, 2002, Carmona was sworn in as the 17th Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service.

Carmona, who grew up in New York City, dropped out of high school to join the Army in 1967 where he earned his GED, later joining the Army's special forces. After being decorated in Vietnam, he was the first in his family to attend college, first at Bronx Community College where he earned an associates of arts degree, and later earned his bachelors of science from the University of California, San Francisco in 1997, and a medical degree in 1979, finishing first in his class. He earned his master's of public health from the University of Arizona in 1998.

With progressive outlooks on health care, Carmona gained experience during a stint, prior to being named Surgeon General, as the chairman of the State of Arizona Southern Regional Emergency Medical System. He was a professor of surgery, family and community medicine, and public health at the University of Arizona. Dabbling in law enforcement Carmona was the Pima County Sheriff's Department surgeon and deputy sheriff. He also served as medical director of police and fire departments and is a fully qualified peace officer with expertise in special operations and emergency preparedness, including weapons of mass destruction.

Honorary degree recipients at the morning ceremony include Gwen Ifill, moderator and managing editor of PBS's "Washington Week in Review" who is receiving a doctorate of journalism, Joseph Tucci, president and chief executive officer of EMC Corporation who will receive a doctorate of business administration, and Steven B. Sample, president of the University of Southern California who will receive a doctorate of education.

In addition, following the undergraduate ceremony in the morning, some 600 graduate students and adult learners will officially earn their degrees at the Matthews Arena that afternoon, beginning at 3:15 p.m. Speaker for the afternoon ceremony will be Ellen Goodman, a Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post journalist she will also be receiving the an honorary doctor of humane letters. Receiving honorary doctorates of public service are New England Patriots magnates Myra and Robert Kraft, receiving an honorary doctorate of science is Judah Folkman, Harvard University professor and pioneering researcher on the mechanism of angiogenesis, and receiving an honorary doctorate of music is Mark Volpe, managing director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Northeastern University, located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, is a world leader in cooperative education and recognized for its expert faculty and first-rate academic and research facilities. Through co-op, Northeastern undergraduates alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, giving them nearly two years of professional experience upon graduation. The majority of Northeastern graduates receive a job offer from a co-op employer. Cited for excellence two years running by U.S. News & World Report, Northeastern was named a top college in the northeast by the Princeton Review 2003/04. In addition, Northeastern's career services was awarded top honors by Kaplan Newsweek's "Unofficial Insiders Guide to the 320 Most Interesting Colleges and Universities," 2003 edition. For more information, please visit http://www.northeastern.edu.