Ruth J. Simmons to be 2008 Commencement speaker
Erika Schnitzer
Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: News
Brown University President Ruth J. Simmons will be the Commencement speaker for the class of 2008, the College announced today.
Simmons, the first African American president of an Ivy League university, is known for her dedication to diversity and engineering, two particularly important initiatives at Union.
Though Simmons has no personal connection to Union, "in so many ways, her career mirrors elements of our own strategic plan," noted President Stephan Ainlay. "She has been widely recognized as a leader in higher education," and because of her experiences at Smith, "she understands well the virtues of a liberal education."
Prior to her presidency at Brown, Simmons was a member of Princeton University's administration. While at Princeton, the president asked her to review the status of the school's race relations. Simmons' report effectively produced a number of proposals that received widespread attention. After Princeton, Simmons was appointed president of Smith College, where she introduced the first engineering program at a United States women's college.
"President Simmons is someone who many people admire. She has been very successful in bringing issues of diversity to the fore-at Smith, at Brown, and in national conversations about higher education. She is certainly a remarkable role model for many," Ainlay stated of the College's decision to invite Simmons to speak.
In addition to her distinguished role at Brown, Simmons is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, president of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and an honorary fellow at Selwyn College at Cambridge University. She also serves on the boards of the Howard University Board of Trustees, Texas Instruments, and the Goldman Sachs Group.
Simmons, who will receive an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Union, holds honorary degrees from a number of other institutions, including Princeton University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).
Simmons, the first African American president of an Ivy League university, is known for her dedication to diversity and engineering, two particularly important initiatives at Union.
Though Simmons has no personal connection to Union, "in so many ways, her career mirrors elements of our own strategic plan," noted President Stephan Ainlay. "She has been widely recognized as a leader in higher education," and because of her experiences at Smith, "she understands well the virtues of a liberal education."
Prior to her presidency at Brown, Simmons was a member of Princeton University's administration. While at Princeton, the president asked her to review the status of the school's race relations. Simmons' report effectively produced a number of proposals that received widespread attention. After Princeton, Simmons was appointed president of Smith College, where she introduced the first engineering program at a United States women's college.
"President Simmons is someone who many people admire. She has been very successful in bringing issues of diversity to the fore-at Smith, at Brown, and in national conversations about higher education. She is certainly a remarkable role model for many," Ainlay stated of the College's decision to invite Simmons to speak.
In addition to her distinguished role at Brown, Simmons is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, president of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and an honorary fellow at Selwyn College at Cambridge University. She also serves on the boards of the Howard University Board of Trustees, Texas Instruments, and the Goldman Sachs Group.
Simmons, who will receive an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Union, holds honorary degrees from a number of other institutions, including Princeton University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).
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