University of Massachusetts Boston announces 2008 Commencement Speaker, Honorees
Gloria E. White-Hammond, one of Boston’s—and the world’s—most distinguished humanitarians, will deliver the principal address at the University of Massachusetts Boston’s 40th commencement ceremonies, to be held on Friday, May 30. She will also receive an honorary degree, as will three other eminent guests: Ronald Logue, Sarah Moten, and Dan Rea.
“Championing the cause of providing the best urban education to the most diverse student body in New England, UMass Boston is extremely proud of the fact that more than half of its undergraduates are first generation college students,” said Chancellor J. Keith Motley. “Reverend White-Hammond’s efforts at finding the humaneness in everyone have earned her a reputation of being one of the country’s most respected civil rights leaders. We are happy to have her address our faculty and student body who share her commitment to public service and the country’s future.”
In addition to Reverend White-Hammond, the Class of 2008 will be joined by honorary degree recipients who have dedicated their lives to building the financial future of New England, pioneering the cause of international development in the field of education, and spearheading and revolutionizing media outreach in Boston.
The Rev. Gloria E. White-Hammond, M.D., is co-pastor of Bethel AME Church in Boston and a pediatrician at the South End Community Health Center. She will be honored for decades of humanitarian efforts, both local and international, that range from founding the Boston-based “Do the Write Thing” program for high-risk black adolescent females to extensive medical, missionary, and humanitarian work in regions of Africa including Darfur.
Dan Rea ’70, now the host of “Nightside with Dan Rea” on WBZ Radio, will receive his honorary degree in recognition of his distinguished career in Boston journalism. From 1976 to 2007, he graced the reporting staff of WBZ-TV, focusing on breaking news stories and local and national politics. Among his honors are two Emmy awards and a lifetime achievement award from the New England Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Ronald E. Logue, the chairman and CEO of State Street Corporation, will be honored for his extraordinary contributions to Boston’s business and civic life. He has held increasingly responsible positions at State Street since 1990, serving as well on boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, the United Way, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts.
Sarah E. Moten, Ed. D., will receive her honorary degree in recognition of long and distinguished international service, on behalf of her country, to people in need. She is currently education division chief for the Africa Bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development and has previously served as deputy assistant secretary of state for international refugee assistance and as Peace Corps country director in Swaziland, Kenya, and Sierra Leone.