U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano Tops Ticket for Boston University Commencement

U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano Tops Ticket for Boston University Commencement

Steven Spielberg & Larry Bird among Honorary Degree Recipients

BOSTON, May 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Rep. Michael E. Capuano, who has emerged as a major voice in Congress concerning the ongoing atrocities and genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, will deliver the commencement address at Boston University's 136th graduation ceremonies at BU's Nickerson Field at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 17.

Congressman Capuano, a Democrat who represents the Eighth District of Massachusetts, will speak before more than 5,000 graduates and 20,000 guests at New England's largest graduation ceremony. The sixth-term congressman, whose district includes Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea and nearly two-thirds of Boston, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

BU President Robert A. Brown announced the commencement, baccalaureate speakers and honorary degree recipients to the members of the Class of 2009 this morning at the annual Senior Breakfast, held at the George Sherman Union.

Brown also revealed that Reverend Gloria E. White-Hammond, M.D., will deliver the Commencement Day baccalaureate address at 9:00 a.m. at Marsh Chapel, and will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Heading an all-star cast of honorary degree recipients are filmmaker Steven Spielberg (Doctor of Humane Letters) and Celtics' legend Larry Bird (Doctor of Letters), as well as Zhang Yimou (Doctor of Humane Letters), producer of the Beijing Olympics' spectacular opening and closing ceremonies; former BU Trustee Chair and Beacon Capital Partners' Chair and CEO Alan Leventhal (Doctor of Laws); and J Allard (Doctor of Letters), senior vice president at Microsoft Corporation.

Congressman Capuano, a graduate of Dartmouth College and Boston College School of Law, has traveled to Darfur, and met with the United Nations Secretary General and the U.S. Ambassador to the UN to urge that additional peacekeepers be sent to the region. He is co-founder and co-chair of the Sudan Caucus.

On the local and national levels, Congressman Capuano has championed legislation that supports transportation infrastructure repair, federal assistance for multi-family housing, efforts to develop juvenile witness assistance programs, and Medicare coverage for vision rehabilitation services. He has secured funding for a number of important local projects, including planning efforts for the Urban Ring project and expansion of the Fenway Community Health Center's HIV prevention, mental health care, and substance abuse programs.

Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school's research and teaching mission.

High-resolution digital photographs of the 2009 BU Commencement participants can be downloaded at the following URL: http://www.bu.edu/photo/2005/POST2616HD09/

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Source: Boston University

CONTACT: Philip Gloudemans, +1-617-353-6546, philipg@bu.edu, or Mary
Tunney, +1-617-353-4198, mtunney@bu.edu, both of Boston University

Web Site: http://www.bu.edu/

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