Dawn Bonker
Speeches by an Oscar winner, a world-renowned scientist and a nationally prominent education official, as well as the conferring of a degree to a Japanese-American forced to abandon college for internment during World War II, will be among the many highlights of Chapman University’s 2012 Commencement May 18-19.
Earthquake expert Lucy Jones, Ph.D., will be among the commencement speakers at Chapman University this year.
Leading earthquake expert
Lucy Jones
, Ph.D., of the U.S. Geological Survey and California Institute of Technology, will address graduates of the Schmid College of Science and Technology, and
Titanic
and
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co-producer
Jon Landau
will take the podium at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts commencement. During the College of Educational Studies ceremony, Santa Ana Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, a former assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education, will deliver the commencement address. Meanwhile, the Rev. Dr. Paul Nagano, who in 1942 was removed from then Chapman College and placed in an internment camp in Poston, Ariz., will receive an honorary Doctor of the University degree from Wilkinson College.
They are just a few of the honorees and guest speakers planned for this year’s commencement ceremonies, which will confer undergraduate and graduate degrees to more than 1,700 students – the largest graduating class in Chapman’s history.
Each ceremony will feature a commencement speaker of note, including California Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye (School of Law), Chapman economics professor Dr. Don Booth (Argyros School of Business and Economics), retired Disney live entertainment director Larry Billman (College of Performing Arts) and environmentalist and author Ocean Robbins (Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences) .
In addition to Dr. Nagano, four others will receive honorary doctorates, including: noted Laguna Beach sculptor Nicholas Hernandez, who will receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the College of Educational Studies; Emmett Ashford, Class of ’41, who became the nation’s first African-American Major League Baseball umpire, will receive a posthumous honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the College of Educational Studies; and film producer Landau will receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
Commencement ceremonies are free and open to the public. The full schedule follows:
Friday, May 18
5 p.m. School of Law Hooding and Conferral, Wilson Field
Speaker: Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, JD, chief justice of California
8 p.m. George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics, Wilson Field
Speaker: Donald R. Booth, Ph.D., Chapman University professor of business and economics
Saturday, May 19
8 a.m. College of Performing Arts, Bert Williams Mall
Speaker: Larry Billman, longtime Disney live entertainment director/writer
9:15 a.m. Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Wilson Field
Speaker: Ocean Robbins, environmental activist, founder and director of YES!
HONORARY DOCTORATE
(Doctor of the University): the Rev. Dr. Paul M. Nagano ’42: was taken out of Chapman College in 1942 to be interned in Poston, Ariz. with other Japanese Americans during WWII.
11:30 a.m. Schmid College of Science and Technology, Bert Williams Mall
Speaker: Lucy Jones, Ph.D., California earthquake expert; U.S. Geological Survey and California Institute of Technology
4:30 p.m. College of Educational Studies, Bert Williams Mall
Speaker: Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, Ph.D., superintendent of schools, Santa Ana Unified School District, and former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education.
HONORARY DOCTORATE
(Doctor of Arts): Nicholas Hernandez, noted sculptor
HONORARY DOCTORATE
(Doctor of Humane Letters, posthumous): Emmett Ashford ‘41, first African-American umpire in Major League Baseball; to be accepted by his daughter Adrienne Bratton).
6:30 pm Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Wilson Field
Speaker: Jon Landau, Lightstorm Entertainment Inc., co-producer, with James Cameron, of
Titanic
and
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HONORARY DOCTORATE
(Doctor of Arts): Jon Landau
Please note that the speaker for the College of Educational Studies, Dr. Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, is the former Assistant Secretary of Education for the U.S. Department of Education. This is her first year as Superintendent of Santa Ana Schools. We are so exited to have her as our commencement speaker.