Collins Tells VCU Graduates to Think Big, Have Fun

By Tom Gresham

Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, urged graduates to “think big” at Virginia Commonwealth University’s spring commencement activities on Saturday at the Richmond Coliseum.

Collins, whose leadership of the Human Genome Project resulted in the completion of a finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book, said graduates were receiving a degree “in exciting and tumultuous times.” He said graduates should approach their lives ambitiously with aspirations of making a large, positive impact on the world, while remembering that “what we do during the brief glimpse on the planet that we’re given is for one person at a time.”

Collins said graduates will face four major questions throughout their lives, involving work, faith, love and fun. He illustrated the importance of fun and a sense of humor with a song about the college experience that he performed on a guitar decorated with a double helix. The rousing performance received a standing ovation.

Students received professional, graduate and undergraduate degrees during the ceremony. The graduating class of more than 4,000 students represented 41 countries and 37 of the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Approximately 2,500 graduates participated in Saturday’s ceremony.

Eugene Trani, Ph.D., president of VCU for 19 years, presided over commencement activities for the final time. Trani is retiring as president at the end of June, but will remain at VCU as distinguished professor. Trani thanked the students and faculty “for allowing me to serve in what I often say is one of the best jobs in the country.”

Trani received an honorary doctor of humane letters award during the ceremony. For the presentation of the award, each of the rectors of the Board of Visitors that served during his tenure joined him on stage.

Collins and Charles Bryan, Ph.D., president emeritus of the Virginia Historical Society, each also received the honorary doctor of humane letters award at the ceremony. The award, which is VCU’s highest form of recognition, acknowledges those who have made outstanding contributions to society through scholarship, humanitarianism, science, art and public service. Bryan retired in 2008 after 20 years as president and CEO of the Virginia Historical Society.

Trani’s wife, Lois Trani, received the Edward A. Wayne Medal, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions or provided exemplary service to VCU. Lois Trani worked in countless volunteer capacities during 19 years at VCU, especially with the Massey Cancer Center and the MCV Hospitals Auxiliary.

Richard Rezba, Ph.D., received the Presidential Medallion for extraordinary achievement in learning and commitment to the mission of VCU. Rezba retired in December as director of the Center for Life Sciences Education at VCU and was instrumental in the development of the Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences into a first-class outreach education site. He is the former dean of the School of Education.