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FINALS WEEKEND 2008
SPEAKERS
National Higher Education Leader Hunter Rawlings to speak at Final Exercises

Hunter R. Rawlings III picture

Hunter R. Rawlings III, three-time university president and a respected national leader in higher education, will give the commencement address at the University's 179th Final Exercises on Sunday, May 18 on the Lawn.

Rawlings, a native Virginian, is currently in his second appointment as a visiting University Professor in classics, having also taught at U.Va. in the spring of 2005. He remains a professor of classics and history and president emeritus at Cornell University. He was Cornell's president from 1995 through 2003 and interim president in 2005 and 2006. Rawlings was also president of the University of Iowa from 1988 through 1995.

"I am honored and delighted to have received the invitation to give the commencement address to the Class of 2008 at the University of Virginia," Rawlings said. "The University is a national leader in higher education, and I have found my colleagues in the Department of Classics and my students here to be a great source of intellectual stimulation. I hope to convey some of that spirit to the graduates at Final Exercises on May 18." More.

U.Va. Media Relations, Daniel Heuchert
Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Sheila C. Johnson to speak at Valedictory Exercises

Sheila C. Johnson picture

Sheila C. Johnson, an entrepreneur and a global ambassador for CARE, will speak at Valedictory Exercises on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m. on the Lawn.

As CEO of Salamander Hospitality, LLC, a company she founded in 2005, Johnson oversees a growing portfolio of luxury properties and lifestyle businesses in Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina. As president and Managing Partner of the WNBA's Washington Mystics and a partner in Lincoln Holdings, LLC, Johnson is the first woman to have a stake in three professional sports teams, including the Washington Wizards (NBA) and the Washington Capitals (NHL). She is also a TV pioneer, having been a co-founding partner of BET (Black Entertainment Television).

“As a supporter of the University of Virginia, I am thrilled to speak to the Class of 2008," said Johnson. "I relish the opportunity to encourage these students to fully invest themselves in their bright futures while also examining how they can serve those around them. I thank them for making me a part of their well-earned celebration. ” More.

U.Va. Media Relations, Daniel Heuchert

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Last Modified: 28-Feb-2008 09:34:45 EDT
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