WESTERN NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE ANNOUNCES GRADUATION SPEAKERS AND HONOREESTO ACHIEVE PRESIDENT'S LISTTODAYFEDERAL SERVICEAT THE NORTHEAST BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING CONFERENCEAND CLASSIC CAR SHOWCOLLEGEENGLAND COLLEGEMA…The Western New England College Campus Activities Board will host a concert by the rock band Karmablind, on Tuesday, April 16 from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. in the Gazebo area on the main campus. The free event is open to the public. Karmablind, which hails from Warwick, New York, has made headlines recently because of its ties to September 11. Lead singer Mark Sly was in the World Trade Center at the time of the attacks, and was able to make it out safely before the buildings collapsed. Sly worked full-time for a bank that had just moved its offices from the 81st floor to the 48th in one of the Twin Towers. Now, he devotes his time to the band, where he is also its manager and promoter. The band's self titled debut album was recorded and co-produced by Peter Moshay, who produced songs with Sean Lennon/Yoko Ono, Hall & Oates, and Mariah Carey. Western New England College is a private, independent, coeducational institution founded in 1919. Located on an attractive 215-acre suburban campus in Springfield, Massachusetts, the College serves 4,600 students on its main campus and at 17 sites throughout the Commonwealth. Undergraduate and graduate programs are offered through the College’s Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, and Law. -30-TO MAKE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE REGION’S ECONOMY

Western New England College News Services

Release: Immediate
Contact: Stephen Roulier or Barbara Campanella

April 26, 2002

WESTERN NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE ANNOUNCES GRADUATION SPEAKERS AND HONOREES

SPRINGFIELD, MA…Jim Trelease, award-winning journalist, artist, and author of the Read Aloud Handbook will deliver remarks at the Western New England College traditional undergraduate Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 18 at 2:30 p.m. at the Alumni Healthful Living Center on the College's main campus. Trelease will also receive an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from the College.

The Western New England College President's Medallion will be presented to the City of Springfield Firefighters, the City of Springfield Police Officers, and the Men & Women of the U.S. Armed Forces. Springfield Fire Chief Gary Cassanelli will accept the medallion on behalf of the firefighters, Springfield Police Chief Paula Meara will represent the police officers, and ROTC Major Jeffrey T. Adams will represent the Armed Forces.

Honorable Margaret H. Marshall, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, will speak at Commencement ceremonies for the Western New England College School of Law on Saturday, May 18 at 9:30 a.m. at Springfield Symphony Hall in downtown Springfield. Marshall will also receive an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from the School of Law.

During the ceremony, James B. White, Professor of Law, Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis will be the recipient of the honorary degree, Doctor of Laws.

And, Chief John DiFava, Massachusetts Institute of Technology chief of campus police, Massachusetts State Police former superintendent, and interim Director of Security at the Massachusetts Port Authority, Logan International Airport, will be the main speaker at Commencement ceremonies for Western New England College’s off-campus and graduate students on Sunday, May 19 at 2:30 at the Alumni Healthful Living Center. Chief DiFava will receive the Western New England College President’s Medallion.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION FOR WESTERN NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE 2002 COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS AND HONOREES

School of Law

Honorable Margaret H. Marshall

(Speaker and recipient of the honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letter)

Honorable Margaret H. Marshall

As Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, the Honorable Margaret H. Marshall is only the second woman to serve on the court in its 310-year history and the first woman to serve as Chief Justice. She was first appointed a Justice of the court in 1996 and was named Chief Justice in 1999. She will serve as Chief Justice until 2014.

Prior to her appointment to the Supreme Judicial Court, she was vice president and general counsel of Harvard University, responsible for all legal and regulatory affairs of Harvard and all of its affiliated institutions.

Chief Justice Marshall earned her law degree from Yale Law School in 1976, attended Harvard Law School from 1975 until 1976, and earned a master’s degree from Harvard University in 1969. Born and educated in South Africa, she earned her undergraduate degree from Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg. As an undergraduate student, she was a leader in the movement against apartheid. In 1968, she came to the United States to pursue graduate studies at Harvard.

She has been honored with numerous awards, honorary degrees and been recognized nationally for being an outstanding woman lawyer.

James P. White

(Recipient of honorary degree, Doctor of Laws)

James B. White

James P. White was the consultant on Legal Education to the American Bar Association from 1974 to 2000 and an advisor to the Consultant on Legal Education from 2000 to 2001. He has been a professor of law at the Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis since 1966. He was also a special assistant to the Chancellor, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis and was dean for Academic Planning and Development from 1974 to 1984.

White earned his undergraduate degree and his Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa. He has an LL.M. from George Washington University and completed a Carnegie Post-Doctoral Fellowship in University Administration from the University of Michigan.

He has received numerous honors and awards including the Kutak Award Medal by the American Bar Association, the Law School Admission Council Resolution of Appreciation, and the Association of American Law Schools Resolution of Appreciation. He also was honored at an international conference in his name in Istanbul, Turkey in June of 2001: "Assuring Quality Legal Education: An International Conference in honor of James P. White."

Undergraduate

Jim Trelease

(Recipient of honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters)

Jim Trelease

Award-winning journalist, artist, and author of the Read Aloud Handbook series, Jim Trelease began his career in journalism in 1963 at the former Springfield Daily News as a writer and staff artists upon his graduation from the University of Massachusetts. During a two-year period of time from1964 until 1966, he served as a lieutenant in the United States Army Intelligence and Security unit with the latter year spent in Vietnam. After 20 years in the news business, he went into business for himself and is now the owner of the educational consultant company Reading Tree Productions. He has published 12 books and has been honored with five awards and honorary degrees, including a first place editor’s award by the New England Associated Press for feature writing. In 1994, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Elms College for his commitment to education and helping children learn how to read.

Graduate of Off-Campus Programs

John DiFava

(Recipient of the Western New England College Presidents Medallion)

John DiFava is the director of Security and Campus Police Services at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is responsible for a full-service agency that provides law enforcement, security, and emergency medical response to the MIT community. Before this, he served as superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police where he was commander and supervisor of 2,292 sworn officers, 410 civilians, and was charged with the management of a $240 million budget. Most recently, he was appointed to the position of interim director of security at the Massachusetts Port Authority at Logan International Airport by acting Governor Jane Swift. He has held many special assignments during his distinguished career. He has also received specialized training in underwater crime scene investigation, tactical operations, and dignitary protection. A recipient of numerous prestigious awards, citations and certificates, he was among a select few to attend Harvard University’s JFK School of Government, Senior Executive Management Program, as well as the FBI’s National Executive Instititute.

About the President's Medallion

This year, the College has established the Western New England College President's Medallion. Through this initiative, the College will honor a diversity of individuals who have distinguished themselves in a particular field or in service to an important cause that has benefited their community, their region, or their nation. It is also intended to bring to the students of the College successful role models in a variety of fields to hear first-hand their important lessons in leadership.

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