Judge Gregory Tells VCU graduates to serve others

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley

RICHMOND, Va. – At the Virginia Commonwealth University commencement exercises today, federal Judge Roger L. Gregory told graduates that the best way to find themselves is through service to others.  The commencement speaker said “service for the uplift of humanity” will help people to get along, work together and solve problems.

“Live a public life that gives rise to private concerns,” Gregory said.  “What are you waiting for?  Go forward, do well and do good.”

Gregory, the first African-American to be appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the graduation ceremony.  Gregory has strong ties to VCU as a former member and rector of the VCU Board of Visitors.

More than 2,600 professional degrees, graduate and undergraduate degrees were awarded during the spring 2003 commencement activities.  At VCU’s fall commencement in December 2002, nearly 1,600 degrees were conferred.

VCU President Dr. Eugene P. Trani noted the rich diversity of the Class of 2003. “Your class is 62 percent female.  Twenty-five percent of you are people of color.  More than 240 graduate today with a 4.0 grade average. You hail from 119 counties and cities in Virginia, 40 of the 50 states and 34 countries,” he said.

Dr. Trani acknowledged the exceptional year that VCU has experienced, a highlight of which was the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to VCU research professor Dr. John B. Fenn.  “So many of you being recognized today have done the hard work that makes VCU shine nationally in programs ranging from sculpture to allied health, from nursing to education, from social work to pharmacy,” he said.

In other commencement activities, Gilbert M. and Fannie S. Rosenthal of Richmond were presented the Edward A. Wayne Medal that honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions and provided exemplary service to VCU.  The Rosenthals established the Brooks Lower Lectureship and the Lower Legacy Professorship in the VCU Division of Cardiac Surgery.  They also established student scholarships in the VCU School of Pharmacy and other departments at VCU.  Mr. Rosenthal served on the School of Pharmacy advisory board.

VCU’s highest honor, the Presidential Medallion, was presented to two individuals for their significant contributions to the university:

• Dr. Hermes A. Kontos, will retire as VCU vice president for health sciences and chief executive officer of the VCU Health System in early July after a long and precedent-setting career in medicine, teaching, research and higher education administration at the VCU and the VCU Medical Center.  Dr. Kontos was specifically recognized for spearheading the transition to what has become the VCU Health System. 

• Dr. Leo J. Dunn, professor and chair emeritus of the VCU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a research subject advocate for the General Clinical Research Center at VCU.  Dr. Dunn will be recognized for significant contributions to medicine, teaching, research and service at VCU.  Among those contributions is the Leo J. Dunn, M.D., Endowed Research Chair that he established at VCU.

The university reported the following candidates for degrees:

College of Humanities and Sciences:  744 candidates for 5 certificates, 554 baccalaureate, 172 master’s and 13 doctoral degrees;

Office of Academic Affairs:  3 candidates for doctoral degrees in Public Policy and Administration;

School of Allied Health Professions:  103 candidates for 15 certificates, 26 baccalaureate, 58 master’s and 4 doctoral degrees;

School of the Arts:  355 candidates for 283 baccalaureate, 69 master’s and 3 doctoral degrees.

School of Business:  347 candidates for 20 certificates, 232 baccalaureate, 89 master’s and 6 doctoral degrees;

School of Dentistry:  108 candidates for 16 baccalaureate, 16 master’s and 76 professional (D.D.S) degrees;

School of Education:  175 candidates for 10 certificates, 26 baccalaureate, 126 master’s and 13 doctoral degrees;

School of Engineering:  104 candidates for 3 certificates, 86 baccalaureate, 14 master’s and 1 doctoral degrees;

School of Graduate Studies:  2 candidates for master’s degrees;

School of Medicine:  257 candidates for 44 certificate, 33 master’s, 17 doctoral and 163 professional (M.D.) degrees;

School of Nursing:  116 candidates for 1 certificate, 79 baccalaureate, 35 master’s and 1 doctoral degrees;

School of Pharmacy:  110 candidates for 4 master’s, 4 doctoral and 102 professional (Pharm.D.) degrees;

School of Social Work:  189 candidates for 32 baccalaureate, 154 master’s and 3 doctoral degrees.