Burns, Bernanke to speak

Renowned filmmaker Ken Burns is slated to headline Boston College's 133rd commencement exercises on May 18 as 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive their diplomas. Hailed as one of the most influential documentary makers of his time, Burns will be presented with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at the ceremonies.

"He is a distinguished filmmaker whose documentaries have generated immense interest in subjects ranging from the Civil War to baseball and other facets of American history," said University Spokesman Jack Dunn. "He is an iconic filmmaker and a gifted speaker and we look forward to his addressing our students on May 18."

In addition to Burns, honorary degrees will be awarded to Margot C. Connell; Joseph E. Corcoran, BC '59; Rev. Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., BC '64 and '64; Carolyn A. Lynch; and Benaree Pratt Wiley.

Dunn said that in choosing the commencement speaker and honorary degree recipients, University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. seeks input from faculty, students, and administrators alike. Selections are then approved by the board of trustees.

"We choose commencement speakers as individuals who are honored for their life's accomplishments," Dunn said when asked to define a commencement speaker's role in a graduating student's academic career, a question that has been in the minds of those following the controversy stirred over Notre Dame's selection of President Barack Obama as its 2009 commencement speaker. "We hope that they will serve as role models for our students as they set forth to embark on their careers."

Burns, who addressed the graduates of Georgetown in 2006 and has received more than 20 honorary degrees, first drew acclaim with his debut film, Brooklyn Bridge, which earned an Academy Award nomination after its release in 1981. In 1990, Burns' nine-part saga The Civil War earned, among many others, two Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and a People's Choice Award, and was the highest-rated series in American public television history, attracting an audience of 40 million during its premiere. Burns' 2007 Second World War chronicle, The War, won three Emmy awards and was selected for the Cannes Film Festival.

Burns' influence reaches further than the awards his films have garnered. In fact, a video production technique, in which a filmmaker pans across a still photograph in order to enliven an otherwise bland shot, has been affectionately dubbed the Ken Burns Effect for Burns' extensive use of the tactic; in 2003, Apple Computer debuted the effect as a feature in its iMovie 3.0 software.

A wide range of successes and charitable efforts also dot the track records of this year's honorary degree recipients.

Connell is chairman of the board at Connell Limited Partnership, which was formerly run by her late husband William, BC '59, for whom the University's School of Nursing is named. An advocate and active supporter of education and healthcare in Boston, Connell is a convening co-chair of the Light the World Campaign, an energetic volunteer on behalf of the University, and a member of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

Corcoran, founder and CEO of Corcoran Jennison Companies and current trustee associate, is one of Boston's leading real estate developers and a leader in mixed-income housing. Corcoran founded the American City Coalition, a non-profit organization that plans and implements the revitalization of urban neighborhoods.

Harrington has authored 40 books on various aspects of biblical studies and is a frequent contributor to America magazine. An Arlington native, Harrington entered the Society of Jesus in 1958 and was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1971. He served as a faculty member at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology until it's reaffiliation with BC last year; he is now a professor in the newly established School of Theology and Ministry.

Lynch, for whom, along with her husband Peter, the School of Education is named, is president of The Lynch Foundation, which provides assistance to programs with an emphasis on education, culture and historic preservation, health care and medical research, and religious and educational efforts of the Catholic Church. Lynch is also a member of the board of the BC Campus School, which provides educational and other services to children with multiple disabilities and complex health care needs.

Wiley is principal of the Wiley Group, a firm specializing in strategy, talent management, and leadership development. For 15 years, she was president and CEO of The Partnership Inc., an organization that strengthened Boston's capacity to attract, retain, and develop talented professionals of color. Under her leadership, The Partnership became a major force in Boston's corporate world, helping more than 1,300 African Americans integrate themselves into the corporate community and encouraging more than 200 corporate partners to open doors for black professionals. At BC, she served for 12 years as a trustee and is currently a trustee associate and a member of the Council for Women of Boston College.

Ben Bernanke, chairman of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve is scheduled to speak at the 2009 Boston College Law School commencement on May 22.

Bernanke, who earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University and a doctorate in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee, the principal monetary policymaking body for the Fed. He has served the Federal Reserve System both as a visiting scholar and a member of the Academic Advisory Panel at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and was a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from 2002-05.

"It is an honor for Boston College Law School to have Ben Bernanke speak at our commencement," BC Law Dean John Garvey said in a release on Tuesday. "Dr. Bernanke is an incredibly accomplished man, in both the financial and academic worlds. Few people have the kind of insights on the world's economic situation that he does. I'm very pleased that he has agreed to speak to the graduating class."