California State University, Dominguez Hills is pleased to announce the four distinguished individuals who will serve as keynote speakers during the university’s college-based commencement ceremonies scheduled for Friday, May 20, at the Home Depot Center Tennis Stadium on campus.
The four speakers and the college-based ceremonies where they will be give the keynote are as follows:
Dr. John Tracy, Boeing vice president and chief technology officer
College of Professional Studies, 8 a.m.
Dr. Wanda Austin, Aerospace Corporation president and CEO
College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences
College of Extended and International Education, 11:30 a.m.
Judge Scott Gordon, Los Angeles County Superior Court
College of Arts and Humanities, 3:30 p.m.
Janet Murguía, president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza
College of Business Administration and Public Policy, 6 p.m.
“Commencement is about celebrating the completion of years of hard work toward a college degree, but it’s also about looking to the future and where that degree can take you,” said Mildred García, president of CSU Dominguez Hills. “The four speakers who will address our students this year – two of whom are our alumni – are at the top of their profession. I know they will serve as inspirations to our students of what they too can achieve.”
As chief technology officer and senior vice president of engineering, operations and technology at The Boeing Company, Dr. John Tracy is responsible for the strategic direction of Boeing’s engineering, operations and technology functions. Tracy is an alumnus of CSU Dominguez Hills, having received his bachelor’s in physics from the university in 1976. He also has a master’s in physics from CSU Los Angeles and a Ph.D. in engineering from UC Irvine.
Dr. Wanda Austin became the first African American female named CEO in the aerospace and defense industry when she was named to lead the Aerospace Corporation in 2008. The nonprofit corporation supports the scientific planning of national security space programs for the U.S. government. Austin began her career in aerospace at Rockwell International as a member of the technical staff before taking on various leadership roles at Aerospace Corp. She has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Franklin & Marshall College, two master’s degrees in systems engineering and math from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D. in systems engineering from the University of Southern California.
Judge Scott Gordon is the assistant supervising judge in the Family Law Department of the L.A. Superior Court, and received national attention most recently as the presiding judge in the Frank and Jamie McCourt divorce proceedings. Gordon will be a familiar face to one of the students in cap and gown he will be addressing; Gordon’s son, Joseph, is graduating with a degree in negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Judge Gordon also is an alumnus of CSU Dominguez Hills, having graduated in 1980 with a bachelor’s in public administration and criminal justice. He earned his law degree from Southwestern Law School while serving on the Santa Monica police force.
As head of the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the nation, Janet Murguía is one of the most prominent voices on issues concerning Latinos in the United States. She has been recognized for her leadership in the Latino community and the nonprofit world by numerous publications, including being named in Hispanic Business as one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics,” and featured in Newsweek’s “Women in Leadership” issue. Murguía began her career in public service as legislative counsel for a Kansas congressman and later in the Clinton White House. A native of Kansas, she earned two bachelor’s degrees and a law degree from the University of Kansas.
Tracy and Murguía are also receiving honorary doctorates from CSU Dominguez Hills. Tracy will receive his at the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences and College of Extended and International Education ceremony, and Murguía will receive hers following her address to the College of Business Administration and Public Policy.
For further biographical information on the keynote speakers, and more information on Commencement 2011 at CSU Dominguez Hills, visit www.csudh.edu/commencement.
