A wide array of leaders in business, the arts and academia will be among the distinguished honorary degree recipients and speakers at DePaul University’s 114th commencement ceremonies this year.

Below is a listing of the locations, dates, times and brief profiles of the honorees at each of DePaul’s seven commencement ceremonies. The June 9 ceremonies for the College of Education, the School of Music and The Theatre School (combined), and the School for New Learning will be held at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. The June 10 ceremonies for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the College of Communication and the College of Computing and Digital Media (combined), and the College of Commerce will be held at the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Ill. 

College of Education

June 9, 8:30 a.m.

Speaker: Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor of education at Stanford University and one of the nation’s top experts on education reform. She served as the head of President Obama’s education transition team.

School of Music and The Theatre School (combined ceremony)

June 9, 11:45 a.m.

Speaker: Jackie Taylor, actress, theatrical producer and founder of Chicago’s iconic Black Ensemble Theater, which recently opened a new multimillion-dollar performing arts and cultural center in Chicago’s Uptown community.  

School for New Learning

June 9, 2:30 p.m.

Speaker: Laurent Parks-Daloz, author and pioneer in adult learning and the utilization of life experience in shaping education programs in the United States.

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and College of Science and Health (combined ceremony)

June 10, 8 a.m.

Speaker: E.O. Wilson, a Harvard professor and two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, one of the world’s most influential biologists and evolutionary theorists of the past half century.

College of Computing and Digital Media and College of Communication (combined ceremony)

June 10, noon

Speaker: Alan C. Kay, a seminal force in the development of the personal computer and the Internet through his work with the Advanced Research Project Agency at the University of Utah and the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center.

Also being honored at the ceremony is Al Golin, a leading figure in the public relations industry and founder of the international agency Golin/Harris, an advisor to major global corporations and organizations.

College of Commerce

June 10, 4 p.m.

Speaker: Brian Campbell, industrialist, investor and philanthropist who has led the growth of several investment and manufacturing concerns while supporting numerous charities throughout the Midwest.

Also being honored is James J. O’Connor, former chairman and CEO of Commonwealth Edison, current chair of Armstrong Industries and co-chairman of the Big Shoulders Fund, a leading organization providing access to Catholic elementary and secondary education for low-income, inner-city children.

Students, graduates and families seeking more information about the commencement ceremonies should visit the Academic Affairs Commencement 2012 website:

http://oaa.depaul.edu/what/commencement_schedule.jsp.

Links to live video streams of the ceremonies will also be available on this web page.

About DePaul

With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, nonprofit university in the Midwest. The university offers approximately 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study on three Chicago and three suburban campuses. Founded in 1898, DePaul remains committed to providing a quality education through personal attention to students from a wide range of backgrounds.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Media seeking to cover these events should contact John Holden at office: (312) 362-7165, cell: 312-391-5798 or jholden2@depaul.edu.