VCU news

By Mike Porter

At Virginia Commonwealth University’s December commencement ceremony on Saturday, keynote speaker Sethuraman Panchanathan, Ph.D., director of the National Science Foundation, congratulated the university’s newest graduates and told them they could transform their communities and the world with their compassion.

“You are all here today because you have the opportunity – because someone lifted you,” Panchanathan said. “But remember, there are millions of people who don’t have those opportunities. I want you to make sure at least 25 people are inspired by you, motivated by you, touched by you, lifted by you.”

The ceremony, which was held at the Stuart C. Siegel Center, honored VCU’s approximately 2,500 August and December graduates, including nearly 1,700 earning bachelor’s degrees. The graduates represent 31 countries and 31 states. The group includes about 560 first-generation graduates. The university also hosts an assortment of in-person graduation ceremonies at the department, school and college levels.

Panchanathan received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from VCU at the ceremony. He shared with graduates his “ten Cs of success”: curiosity, commitment, courage, collaboration, communication, constant learning, competition, civility, cheerful disposition and compassion. He said he was impressed with VCU’s “environment of commitment to immense talent, creativity, innovation and ideas” during a visit to campus in February.

“Never give up on the opportunity to learn,” Panchanathan said. “That commitment is what you need all through your life.”

VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., told the graduates that they had helped make VCU “a national model of what a public research university should be.”

“You’re why we’re here and what drives us every day,” Rao said. “You all make us feel a sense of renewal all of the time. You are an example of perseverance and resilience – the pandemic and its enduring impacts affected your education, yet here you are – a class that’s graduating on time and in record numbers. You’ve set a VCU standard that future VCU students will look to.” 

Kathleen and John Luke received the Edward A. Wayne Medal at the ceremony. The award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions or provided exemplary services to VCU. John, the retired chairman and CEO of WestRock Co., is a former member of the VCU Board of Visitors who twice served as rector. Together, Kathleen, a former attorney, and John served on the Make It Real Campaign Committee, the largest fundraising effort in VCU’s history, and have made significant gifts to VCU’s School of Business, the Massey Comprehensive Care Center, the Board of Visitors Fund and the Sheltering Arms Institute (a joint venture with VCU Health).