Newswise — Carol Moseley Braun, a former U.S. senator from Illinois, U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and most recently Democratic candidate for president, will address the graduating class of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at her alma mater, the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The commencement will take place May 9 at the UIC Pavilion.
This year UIC will depart from its tradition of holding a university-wide convocation in favor of college commencements, where each graduate will be congratulated personally by the dean for his or her academic accomplishment.
"It was easy to identify the perfect commencement speaker for this historic occasion," said Stanley Fish, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
"Carol Moseley Braun is a distinguished citizen of Illinois, of the United States and of the world, and any college would consider it an honor to have her address its students. But, the capstone fact is that Carol Moseley Braun is herself a graduate of the UIC College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. So that when, in my capacity as dean, I send our new graduates out into the world, there could be no better example for them to contemplate and listen to than someone who has sat where they sit now and who has gone on to achievements that now become possible for them as well."
Moseley Braun earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1969. She went on to the University of Chicago to earn a law degree in 1972.
Dick Simpson, UIC professor of political science, had Moseley Braun as a student in his African politics class.
"Even then, I remember her as a charming, intelligent, hard-working student," recalled Simpson, who is a former Chicago alderman. "Her choice as graduation speaker is excellent. To see people like her, Representative Bobby Rush and others who have earned degrees from UIC and have gone on to reach high levels of success is particularly important for our students."
Last September Moseley Braun chose UIC as one of three venues around the country to announce her presidential candidacy. Dwindling financial resources forced her out of the race in January.
Simpson, who coordinated issues papers for the Braun campaign, credits his former student for her determination.
"She's won political races that many didn't think she would," Simpson said. She beat incumbent Sen. Alan Dixon in the 1992 Democratic primary and went on to win handily in the general election.
"Many tried to dissuade her from running for president, but despite that and her limited resources, she ran a very good campaign," Simpson said.
More than 1,100 UIC graduates will attend the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences commencement, where both undergraduate and graduate degrees will be conferred.
The college offers more than 60 major areas of study for undergraduates and awards masters' and doctoral degrees in more than 70 fields.
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