Fallout from the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the prospect of war with Iraq have been defining issues for Northwestern’s senior class.
The class of 2003 will get a reminder — and some insight — at commencement when a diplomat who served in one of the world’s most volatile regions during the past years gives the address.
Wendy Chamberlin, Education ’70 and the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan at the time of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was announced Thursday as the speaker for NU’s 145th commencement, scheduled for June 20.
Chamberlin, who was a varsity swimmer during her undergraduate career at NU, currently heads the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Asia and the Near East. She will be awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree at the ceremony.
Alan Cubbage, NU’s vice president for university relations, called Chamberlin a distinguished alumna who will be able to speak about current political events.
“This is a person who has been on the front lines living in Pakistan during the war in Afghanistan,” Cubbage said. “For a graduating senior, she might not be the biggest name, but she’s someone who is very knowledgeable about world events.”
Last year, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan addressed graduates at commencement. Author Scott Turow and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright also have spoken in past years.
Stephanie Shyu, co-chairwoman of NU’s senior class council, said she is looking forward to the speech.
“It’s not really the name that’s important — it’s more the message that the speaker will share,” said Shyu, a Communication senior. “September 11 happened in the middle of our college career and had a big impact on our time here. It will be good to get a global perspective on things.”
Chamberlin began serving as the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan one month before the Sept. 11 attacks. She worked to ensure that Pakistan’s government would back the United States in rooting out al-Qaida’s terrorism bases in Afghanistan. After serving in the position for nine months, Chamberlin returned to the United States to rejoin her two young daughters.
History Prof. John McLane called Chamberlin “an interesting choice” and said he thinks students and faculty will appreciate the timeliness of her address.
“Pakistan is at the center of so many things going on in the world today, ” said McLane, director of NU’s Asian and Middle East Studies program. “(Chamberlin) was specifically chosen for such a sensitive post. (The U.S. government) wouldn’t have put someone there they didn’t have confidence in.”
School of Education officials said they were excited about Chamberlin’s selection. The school previously had plans to honor Chamberlin by giving her the annual Alumni Service Award in April, said Education Dean Penelope Peterson.
“This may be the first time an alumnus of the School of Education has been the university’s commencement speaker,” Peterson said. “She really represents the spirit of our school, which is centered on trying to change things in the world and making a difference.”
