Tag: commencement

Gather round language nerds! An analysis of 30 notable commencement speeches delivered this month, including Ken Burns’ speech at Wash U., provides some linguistic trivia on the words speakers used to inspire the Class of 2015.

The most commonly used word in speeches?  KNOW

The least commonly used word?  FUTURE

WORK was used 110 times in the 30 speeches.

The analysis, available on the Fusion.net website, also found that that speakers talked about their audience (the graduates), only slightly more than they talked about themselves.

Image: Fusion.net

Jeremy Sherman, receives his degree in economics and strategy from Olin and political science in Arts & Sciences today after addressing the Commencement Ceremony in the Brookings quad.

Jeremy Sherman. Photo by Mary Butkus/WUSTL Photos

Sherman addressed thousands of fellow graduates, faculty and family members today at Commencement. His speech, “Embrace the Uncertainty,” celebrated the unknown.

“When I think about all that WashU taught me, it has, most of all, taught me to deal with uncertainty. And not just deal with it, but embrace it,” said Sherman. “With uncertainty comes adventure.”

Sherman has served as senior class president and is a member of professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi and past president of his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He also served as a Student Union senator, co-chair of a Mosaic Project committee, and Interfraternity Council officer. As a junior, Sherman organized the first “Greek Serve,” which connected sorority and fraternity members with seventh-graders from KIPP Inspire Academy.

After a trip to Europe, Jeremy will begin his career at Deloitte Consulting in Washington, D.C.

Congratulations Jeremy!

Read Jeremy’s Class Act Profile here.

For the past four weeks, the MBA Programs Office brought second year MBA students together every Thursday morning for Einstein’s coffee and breakfast treats as they completed their final required course, Strategic Management, with Professor Lamar Pierce.

This is a tradition that the students enjoyed during their GO! (Gateway Olin) Program at the beginning of their MBA experience and has been a nice way to wrap up the program as the countdown to graduation begins.

Photo credit: Latte art, Morten Rand Hendriksen, Flickr

Howard Wood, BSBA’61, received an honorary doctor of laws degree at Wash U Commencement May 17.

Wood has never forgotten the opportunities he received as a student and graduate of Washington University, which he attended on a full-tuition scholarship. Since earning a bachelor of science in business administration degree in 1961 from Olin Business School, he has been an ardent supporter of his alma mater.

After a successful career in accounting, Wood changed course and co-founded what would become two of the nation’s most successful telecommunications companies: Charter Communications Inc. and Cequel III LLC.

Howard Wood receives honorary degree from Chancellor Wrighton. Photos courtesy of WUSTL photos services.

While building his businesses, he also helped drive WUSTL’s progress. He served on the Business School Task Force in 1980-81. He is a past president of the Olin alumni association and an inaugural member, since 1995, of the school’s National Council.

Among the Wood family’s major contributions to Olin Business School are the Wood Fellows for MBA candidates and the Wood Scholars for undergraduates, as well as an endowed chair in organizational behavior.

His generosity also has extended to the School of Medicine, assisting in establishing a state-of-the-art simulation center.

He was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2000 and named an emeritus trustee in 2011. A life member of the Danforth Circle, he also served on the School of Medicine’s Finance Committee.

Wood received Olin’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1992, the Founders Day Distinguished Alumni Award in 1996, the Dean’s Medal from Olin in 2000 and the Robert S. Brookings Award in 2012.

Today, he runs a real estate and cattle farming operation in his hometown of Bonne Terre, Mo.

Cory Booker, Marilyn Fox, Martin Mathews, Juhani Pallasmaa, and Peter Rosen also received honorary degrees at this year’s Commencement ceremony. Their bios and all Comencement coverage is available in the WUSTL Newsroom.

Tweet and follow Commencement festivities with the Wash U hashtag for graduation day May 17. Post your pics to Flickr and Facebook with the hashtag, too, so everyone can share the memories. There’s also live streaming of the ceremonies and a new online WUSTL trivia quiz in case you’re bored standing in line to get your diploma!

Here are some of the ways you can connect with the ceremonies, graduates, friends and family:

• Live streaming schedule for ceremonies

8:30 a.m. All-University Ceremony in Brookings Quad

11:30 a.m. Olin Undergraduate Ceremony in Athletic Complex 

3:00 p.m. Olin Graduate Ceremony in Athletic Complex 

• Twitter:  use the hashtag  #WUSTL2013 to tweet and follow Commencement
• Flickr: see all the photos from the day
• Electronic greetings: send personal messages to grads, friends and family
• Take the WUSTL Trivia Challenge
• WUSTL website with all the links above and more about Commencement

Words of wisdom will be coming from an impressive lineup of speakers at Commencement ceremonies this month.  Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker headlines the all-University ceremony at 8 a.m. in Brookings Quad. Olin hosts two Diploma and Awards Ceremonies for undergrad and grad students in the Athletic Complex later in the day.

Lisa Lewin, BSBA’96, will speak at the Undergraduate Ceremony on May 17 at 11:30 a.m. in the Athletic Complex Field House. Amanda Signorelli will be the student speaker at the BSBA ceremony.

Lisa Lewin is president of Teacher Education at Pearson, the global learning company. She is responsible for setting strategy, driving revenue and profitability, and seizing opportunities to disrupt and innovate in the field of educator preparation and practice. Prior to joining Pearson, she founded Mindgate Media, a New York-based digital media consultancy serving the independent and educational film industry. Lewin earned a BSBA from Olin Business School and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Barbara S. Thomas, will speak at the Graduate Ceremony at 3 p.m. on May 17 in the Athletic Complex Field House. Brooke James, MBA’13, will be the student speaker at the graduate ceremony.

Barbara Thomas is senior vice president and chief financial officer of HBO Sports. She is responsible for overseeing talent negotiations, program administration, research, strategic planning and financial and distribution operations for HBO Sports as well as HBO Pay-Per-View and HBO Archives. She serves on the Board of Trustees at Washington University in St. Louis and is chair of the University’s National Council for Arts & Sciences. Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.