CMU names commencement speakers

Central Michigan University’s nearly 4,000 fall and August graduates will participate in three commencement ceremonies Dec. 15 with inspirational messages from a variety of speakers. Steelcase Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer James Hackett, Kentucky State University President Mary Sias, and The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences Executive Dean and Vice Provost Joseph Steinmetz will serve as keynote speakers.

 

At the 9 a.m. ceremony, Steelcase Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer James Hackett, who oversees all Steelcase domestic and international operations, will address the audience. He is a visionary business executive who has more than three decades of experience in industry and business. Hackett will receive a Doctor of Commercial Science honorary degree.

 

During the 1 p.m. ceremony, Kentucky State University President Mary Sias, a dedicated leader and advocate for many higher education-related issues and organizations, will speak to the graduates. She is Kentucky State’s 13th president and has served in many higher education and leadership positions, including associate provost and senior vice president of student affairs and external relations at the University of Texas at Dallas and chief executive officer of the Young Women’s Christian Association of Metropolitan Dallas. Sias will receive a Doctor of Public Service honorary degree.

 

During the 5 p.m. ceremony, The Ohio State University Executive Dean and Vice Provost Joseph Steinmetz will address the audience. He is a nationally renowned and award-winning behavioral neuroscientist recognized by his peers for his contributions to the fields of experimental psychology and neuroscience. He is a distinguished Central Michigan University alumnus who received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in experimental psychology from CMU. Steinmetz will receive a Doctor of Science honorary degree.