May 17, 2016

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MILWAUKEE — Marquette University's 135th Commencement will be held Sunday, May 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, 1001 N. 4th St.

Marquette will provide a live webcast of the May Commencement ceremony, which will also be recorded for on-demand viewing.

Dr. Judith Mayotte, alumna, will be the 2016 Commencement speaker. Mayotte earned a Ph.D. in 1976 and has been a pioneer in women's studies and an Emmy and Peabody Award winner for her work in the documentary series Portrait of America. She will receive an honorary degree as part of the ceremony.

This year's student speaker is Wyatt Massey, who will receive a bachelor's degree in writing-intensive English and advertising. After a life-changing trip to El Salvador, Massey recognized his calling to be a human rights journalist and advocate. Massey was particularly inspired by the career of Marquette University alumnus and freelance journalist James Foley. Following graduation, Massey will join the editorial staff at the Baltimore Sun.

Photographers are welcome to capture b-roll and still images freely in an unobtrusive manner. A mult-box will be available to broadcast outlets for audio.

For assistance the morning of the event, please contact any of the following:

Chris Jenkins, associate director of university communication

(414) 828-2725 – mobile

Chris Stolarski, senior communication strategist

(414) 235-6060– mobile

Clare Peterson, communication specialist

(414) 793-9270 – mobile

About Dr. Judith Mayotte

After receiving a grant to study refugees in 1989, she dedicated her life to working with those suffering most from the world's conflicts, paying a personal price for her efforts when she lost a leg during a food drop to Sudanese refugees in 1993 – just after the publication of her book Disposable People?: The Plight of Refugees. She served as an adviser to President Clinton's administration on refugee policy. In 2005, Mayotte was the founder of Marquette's South Africa Service Learning program in Cape Town, South Africa.

She has been the focus of study herself, the subject matter of a segment of the PBS documentary series Visionaries and the Smithsonian's National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.