Howard University News March 30, 2012 Education Secretary Arne Duncan to Deliver Howard University's 144th Commencement Address Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, has been named as the 2012 orator for Howard University's 144th Commencement Convocation, Saturday, May 12 at 10 a.m. on the Upper Quadrangle of the main campus. Duncan was named Education Secretary by President Barack Obama and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Jan. 20, 2009. Prior to his appointment, Duncan served as the chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools from 2001 through 2008, the longest-serving tenure of any big-city education superintendent in the country. Before joining the Chicago Public Schools, Duncan ran the Ariel Education Initiative (1992-1998), a nonprofit focused on advancing educational opportunities in economically disadvantaged areas. Duncan has also served on the Board of Overseers for Harvard College, the Visiting Committees for Harvard University's Graduate School of Education and the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration. >From 1987 to 1991, Duncan played professional basketball in Australia, where he worked with children who were wards of the state. Duncan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1987 * WHAT: Howard University's 144th Commencement Exercise * WHEN: Saturday, May 12, 2012, 10 a.m. * WHERE: Howard University, Upper Quadrangle of Main Campus (6th and Howard Place, NW), Washington, D.C. Note to the Media Please be advised that media coverage must be coordinated by 5 p.m. Thursday, May 10, 2012. All broadcast media must be stationary by 8:30 a.m. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-520-0593 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.