Kent State’s Fall Commencement Ceremonies Take Place Dec. 17

Fall 2011 Commencement Ceremonies at Kent State University are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 17, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The morning ceremony is for those receiving doctoral and master’s degrees, while the afternoon ceremony is for those receiving baccalaureate degrees. Both ceremonies will occur in the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MAC Center). Speakers for Kent State’s Fall 2011 Commencement Ceremonies are Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Jim Petro and Kent State alumnus Dr. Barry Franklin, ’70.

More than 2,000 degrees will be granted. The commencement ceremonies may be viewed live at http://www.kent.edu/commencement/webcast/live-webcast.cfm.


DOCTORAL AND MASTER’S COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY:

Saturday, Dec. 17, at 10 a.m.
Location: Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center
Speaker: Dr. Barry Franklin, ’70

About the Speaker:
Barry A. Franklin serves as director of preventive cardiology and rehabilitation at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., professor of physiology at Wayne State University’s School of Medicine in Detroit, and professor of internal medicine and biomedical research at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Rochester, Mich. He is the past editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention and is a past president of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR; 1988) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM; 1999). Presently, he holds formal editorial board appointments with 15 different scientific and clinical journals, including the American Journal of Cardiology, American Journal of Health Promotion, and the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 

He is the immediate past chair of the American Heart Association (AHA) Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism. Currently, he chairs the AHA Advocacy Coordinating Committee and serves as a member of the national AHA Board of Trustees and Administrative Cabinet.

Franklin has been married to his wife, Linda, for 40 years and has two married children and a 3-year-old grandson, Ethan. Franklin earned his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Kent State University, the University of Michigan and the Pennsylvania State University, respectively. 


BACCALAUREATE CEREMONY:

Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m.
Location: Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center
Speaker: Chancellor Jim Petro, Ohio Board of Regents

About the Speaker:
Jim Petro was appointed chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents in March 2011. Chancellor Petro leads the University System of Ohio, which is one of the largest comprehensive systems of public higher education in the nation. The University System of Ohio bears the primary responsibility for raising Ohioans’ educational attainment.

Petro served as Ohio attorney general from 2003 to 2007 and as Ohio auditor of state from 1995 to 2003. Petro has spent a total of 28 years as an elected officeholder, previously serving as state representative, Cuyahoga County commissioner and Rocky River city councilman. An attorney by trade, Petro has served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Franklin County, assistant director of law in the city of Cleveland, and was director of law for the city of Rocky River.

Petro received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Denison University. He resides in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Nancy.

For more information, visit the Commencement website at www.kent.edu/commencement.

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Media Contact:
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595