Administrators announced Thursday the convocation speakers who will address graduates of Northwestern’s six undergraduate schools, Kellogg and the School of Continuing Studies. Speakers include Viacom CEO Sumner Redstone and author Alex Kotlowitz.
The convocations will be held June 22, the day after Kofi Annan, U.N. secretary-general, will give the commencement address at Ryan Field.
Three schools’ convocations will begin at 8:30 a.m. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science graduates will meet at Welsh-Ryan Arena to hear alumna Rhonda Dibachi, executive vice president of strategy and planning at Niku Corp. Education and Social Policy graduates will meet at Cahn Auditorium to hear Kotlowitz, a Medill lecturer and author of “There are No Children Here.” Music graduates will gather at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall to hear composer T.J. Anderson.
Weinberg graduates will take over Welsh-Ryan at 11 a.m. to hear chemistry Prof. Mark Ratner.
The School of Continuing Studies will meet at Alice Millar Chapel at noon. Peter Kaye, an adjunct instructor and senior editor for McDougal Littell & Co. publishing house, will give the convocation address.
Medill graduates visit Cahn at 12:30 p.m. to listen to Lois Wille, a long-time Chicago reporter and two-time Pulitzer winner for public service and editorial writing.
Kellogg Graduate School of Management graduates will convene in Welsh-Ryan at 2:30 p.m. to hear Redstone, CEO and chairman of the cable conglomerate Viacom, which owns CBS, UPN and MTV, as well as Paramount Pictures movie studio and the Blockbuster video rental chain.
Speech Prof. Rives Collins will give two separate convocation lectures: The School of Speech’s communication studies and communication sciences and disorders graduates will hear him speak at Pick-Staiger at 1:30 p.m., and the dance, performance studies, radio-television-film and theatre graduates will convene to hear him speak at Pick-Staiger at 5 p.m.
Administrators also have announced increased security efforts for Annan’s address. All bags, purses and backpacks will be checked, and no banners, placards or signs will be allowed.
Tickets will be required. Graduating seniors can get up to 12 tickets during cap and gown distribution, with additional tickets available upon special request.
