GVSU celebrates new grads

Some 2,000 students are expected to participate in Grand Valley State University's commencement ceremonies on April 26 at Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids. The graduates will hear from two women with long, distinguished histories in Michigan government and education.

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon will be the 10 a.m. commencement speaker; U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) will be the speaker for 3 p.m. commencement. Both will receive an Honorary Doctor of Public Service.

Simon is the 20th president of Michigan State University. She served as provost and vice president for academic affairs from 1993-2004, interim president in 2003 and was appointed president by the MSU Board of Trustees in January 2005. After earning her doctorate in administration and higher education from MSU in 1974, she became a member of the MSU faculty and assistant director of the Office of Institutional Research.

In 2000, Stabenow became the first woman from Michigan elected to the U.S. Senate. In 2006, she was appointed to the Senate Finance Committee. She also serves on the Senate Budget and Agriculture committees and is chairing the Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry, and Credit. She was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives and served for 12 years (1979-90), then became the first woman to preside over the House. She served in the State Senate for four years (1991-94). Elected to Congress in 1996 representing Michigan’s Eighth Congressional District, she won election to the U.S. Senate.

The morning ceremony includes graduates of the College of Community and Public Service, College of Engineering and Computing, College of Health Professions, Kirkhof College of Nursing and Seidman College of Business. Robing is at 9:30 a.m., line-up for the processional will start at 9:45.
The afternoon ceremony includes the College of Education, College of Interdisciplinary Studies and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Robing is at 2:30 p.m., line-up for the processional will start at 2:45.

Alumni Awards
• William S. Davidson, II, will be honored as Distinguished Alumnus. Davidson is a distinguished professor at Michigan State University. He is also the editor for the American Journal of Community Psychology and a senior scientist with the Michigan Public Health Institute at MSU. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley in 1969, he earned a master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Illinois. Davidson has become one of the nation’s preeminent authorities on behavioral psychology, with much of his research focusing on the juvenile justice system, violence against women and the prevention of child abuse.

• Teresa Beck, associate professor and director of the therapeutic recreation program, will be honored as Outstanding Educator. She has been a member of the Grand Valley faculty since 1995. Beck’s students said her passion for teaching and use of personal experiences helped prepare them for their careers. She was praised for her accessibility and concern for students’ personal and professional development. Beck earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, a master’s degree from Florida State University and a doctorate from the University of North Texas.