Commencement Speakers and Honorees
179th Commencement Exercises 2009
Timothy M. Kaine became Virginia's seventieth governor on January 14, 2006. Under Governor Kaine's leadership, Virginia boasts one of the highest median incomes and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. He put into law Virginia's first requirement for all teachers to receive regular and meaningful teacher evaluations, and led the way for the creation of the New College Institute in Southside Virginia so that every region of the Commonwealth now has a four-year college. In 2008, he led efforts to secure a $1.6 billion bond package to expand college access for Virginians.
Governor Kaine practiced law in Richmond for seventeen years, representing people who had been denied housing opportunities because of their race or disability. He won many precedent-setting cases in this area and was recognized by local, state, and national organizations for his fair-housing advocacy. He also taught legal ethics for six years at the University of Richmond School of Law.
Governor Kaine entered political life in 1994 and was elected to four terms on the Richmond City Council, including two terms as mayor. The improvements in Richmond's economy during Governor Kaines tenure earned the city its first-ever listing in Forbes magazine's annual ranking of the top ten cities in America for doing business. After being elected lieutenant governor in 2001, he worked for four years with Governor Mark Warner to reform the state's budget and invest new resources in education.
Governor Kaine also serves as chairman of the Democratic National Committee; chair of the Southern Governors Association, where he is focused on addressing climate change in the South;and chair of the Executive Council of the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay program.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Missouri in 1979, Governor Kaine graduated from Harvard Law School in 1983. His career of public service began when he took a year off from law school to volunteer with missionaries in Honduras. There he served as the principal of a small Catholic school that taught teenagers basic carpentry and welding skills.
178th Commencement Exercises 2008
Alumni Commencement Speaker
Leland Melvin, RC 86
Leland D. Melvin, a 1986 graduate of the University of Richmond, is a mission specialist with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In February, he became the first Spider in space when he flew aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis to help install upgrades to the orbiting International Space Station.
Melvin was an accomplished wide receiver on the University of Richmond football team, catching more passes for more yards than any player in Spider history. He was an honorable mention All-American in 1984 and 1985 and a second team academic All-American in 1985. After graduation, Melvin played for the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys. When injuries ended his professional football career, he was completing a masters degree in materials science at the University of Virginia, having been a chemistry major at Richmond.
Joining NASAs Langley Research Center in 1989, Melvin conducted research in the area of physical measurements for the development of advanced instrumentation for nondestructive evaluation. In 1994, he was chosen to lead a team that developed temperature and hydrogen sensors for the reduction of vehicle operational costs. In 1996, he co-designed and monitored construction of a facility to develop aerospace and civil health monitoring systems. He was selected into the Astronaut Corps in 1998.
In addition to his primary role with NASA, he is co-manager of NASAs Educator Astronaut Program, working to inspire thousands of students across the country to pursue careers in science and mathematics. The University had the opportunity to host Melvin in April for Reaching for the Stars, a program in which he shared his space experiences with thousands of area school children and encouraged them to excel academically. That same weekend, Melvin was recognized by his fellow Spiders with the Alumni of the University of Richmond Award for Distinguished Service (Richmond College).
Student Speakers
Megan T. Barrow - Invocation
Eric Van Der Hyde - Student Commencement Speaker
Matt Luchansky - Introduction of Alumni Commencement Speaker
Dean Dickos - Benediction
Khalil Graham - Baccalaureate Speaker
Erica Coleman - Candlelight Ceremony Speaker (Saturday, May 10)
Honorary Degree Recipient
Viola Baskerville - Doctor of Laws
The Honorable Viola O. Baskerville serves as secretary of administration for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She was appointed to the position by Governor Tim Kaine and oversees various state agencies including the State Board of Elections and the Department of Minority Business Enterprise.
Baskerville has a long and distinguished career of public service in Richmond and the Commonwealth. Beginning in 1994, she served on the Richmond City Council and became Vice Mayor before she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1997. She represented the 71st district, including parts of Richmond and Henrico, until 2005, when she ran for Lieutenant Governor, becoming the first African American to do so in the state. As a legislator, she was a member of the Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee and the Science and Technology Committee. Among her most notable legislative achievements was creation of the Brown v. Board of Education scholarships for students who had been locked out of Prince Edward County Public Schools when the county refused to comply with court-ordered desegregation. As a result of her work, dozens of adult students later received $2 million in scholarship aid and the opportunity to achieve their educational goals.
A Richmond native, Baskerville is known for her dedication to the community. She has been recognized for her service by the Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA) and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW).
A graduate of The College of William and Mary, Baskerville was awarded a Fulbright to study in Bonn, Germany, before attending the University of Iowa College of Law. She is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national honor society.
Trustees' Distinguished Service Award Recipient
Robert E. Rigsby, a 1971 graduate of the University of Richmond, is the retired President and Chief Operating Officer of the Dominion Delivery business unit of Dominion Resources that includes Dominion Virginia Power, Dominion North Carolina Power, Dominion East Ohio, Dominion Peoples, and Dominion Hope. He retired from Dominion in 2002 after thirty years of service.
This summer, Rigsby concludes his service on the Board of Trustees of the University of Richmond, of which he has been a member since 1997. He has been vice rector and chair of the Academic Program Committee. He is a former member of the Executive Advisory Council of the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business at Richmond and established school the Rigsby Fellow in Economics to support a faculty member.
Rigsby also was appointed by two governors to serve consecutive terms on the Board of Visitors for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He currently serves on the boards of VCU Health System, the VCU School of Engineering Foundation, and the VCU School of Business Foundation. He previously served on the Council of Associates of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges.
Rigsby also is active in organizations throughout the city, serving as president of the board of the Richmond Symphony Foundation. He is a past member of the Richmond Symphony board of directors, the Virginia Manufacturers Association board of directors, and the Honorary Advisory Board for the Mathematics and Science Center Foundation. He has served as past chairman of the March of Dimes Greater Richmond WalkAmerica, former crusade chairman for the Blue Ridge Area of the American Cancer Society, and a business leader for the American Heart Association.
Rigsby earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics at Richmond. He received a Master of Science in 1975 and a Master of Business Administration in 1980, both from Virginia Commonwealth University. He completed the Executive Program at the University of Virginias Darden School of Business in 1983. He is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Virginia Society of CPAs, as well as Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Phi Kappa Phi honorary societies.
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