Roger Williams University to Confer Nearly 1,000 Degrees in 2011 Commencement Exercises

U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse to deliver University's general Commencement address; the Honorable Paul A. Suttell to deliver RWU Law address

BRISTOL, RI (05/04/2011)(readMedia)-- Roger Williams University will confer nearly 1,000 degrees during the University's 2011 Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 21. Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, will address the RWU graduating class and receive an honorary degree during the ceremony.

The general Commencement ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. on the University's main athletic field on the Bristol Campus at One Old Ferry Road. In addition to Senator Whitehouse, Denise M. Jenkins, grant programs officer at the Rhode Island Foundation and Vice Chair of the University Board of Trustees, will receive an honorary degree that day.

On Friday, May 20, at 1 p.m., the Hon. Paul A. Suttell, chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, will be presented with an honorary degree and deliver the Commencement address at the Roger Williams University School of Law ceremony. The Hon. Robert G. Flanders, Jr., and Betty Anne Waters '98L will also receive honorary degrees during the ceremony, at which more than 150 juris doctor degrees will be awarded.

"Each of this year's honorary degree recipients exemplifies the commitment to community and the dedication to service that we so deeply value at Roger Williams University," says Richard L. Bready, Chairman of the RWU Board of Trustees. "We are honored to celebrate Commencement with two speakers who offer our graduates a wonderful illustration of the intellect, integrity and dedication that truly sets leaders apart, even in a state filled with committed public servants."

The 2011 Commencement ceremonies mark a number of firsts at Roger Williams University:

The first group of Intercultural Leadership Award recipients will graduate. The award was created in 2007 as part of a campus-wide initiative to increase educational opportunities for diverse populations of students; it offers full-tuition scholarships to students who have overcome a life challenge in pursuit of education, are first generation college students or speak English as a second language. ILA scholars are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA and engage in leadership opportunities.

The School of Justice Studies will award its first degree in security assurance studies, an interdisciplinary major created to prepare students for careers in security-related fields. And finally, the Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences will celebrate the graduation of its first aquaculture and aquarium science minors as well as the school's new certificate in biotechnology program.

The 2011 RWU Commencement exercises are closed to the public, but members of the media are encouraged to attend with advance reservations only.

The tentative list of RWU graduates can be viewed at the following link: www.rwu.edu/about/administration/registrar/graduation/

The following paragraphs provide biographical information for Senator Whitehouse, Justice Suttell and the other individuals receiving honorary doctorates during the ceremonies:

The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island

Doctor of Public Administration

A Congressional leader on economic, environment and health care issues, Sheldon Whitehouse has served as Rhode Island's junior U.S. Senator since 2007. Previously, he served as Rhode Island attorney general and as U.S. attorney.

A graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law, Senator Whitehouse began his career as special assistant attorney general and served as a policy advisor and counsel to the governor of Rhode Island and as the state's director of business regulation.

Among his many leadership roles in Congress, Senator Whitehouse is a member of the Budget Committee and chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. As chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee, Senator Whitehouse champions efforts to protect the environment, including our oceans and marine ecosystems.

Denise M. Jenkins, grant programs officer, the Rhode Island Foundation

Doctor of Education

An accomplished educator and public service advocate, Denise M. Jenkins currently serves as grant programs officer for the Rhode Island Foundation, a nonprofit that supports education improvement in the state.

Ms. Jenkins began her career in public service at Children's Friend and Service; from there, her passion for education led her to a number of institutions. As head of school at School One in Providence for more than 15 years, Ms. Jenkins re-envisioned a teacher-designed curriculum, achieved accreditation with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and dramatically diversified the student body. Her work led to an appointment as one of just five Annenberg Principal Fellows in the country to participate for nine years.

Ms. Jenkins holds a bachelor's in psychology and social work and a master's degree in nonprofit management. She is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Roger Williams University, where she also serves as Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and is a member of the Executive, Governance, and Student Affairs and Retention Committees.

The Honorable Paul A. Suttell, chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court

Doctor of Laws

The Honorable Paul A. Suttell was appointed chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 2009. He was first named to the R.I. Supreme Court in 2003 after 13 years as an associate justice on the R.I. Family Court.

A graduate of Northwestern University and Suffolk University Law School, Justice Suttell began his legal career in the law offices of Beals & DiFiore and Crowe, Chester & Adams. He later served as a member of the R.I. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990, where he was deputy minority leader for five years.

Justice Suttell has served on a number of nonprofit boards and associations in the state, including as director and past president of the Little Compton Historical Society and the Sakonnet Preservation Association; director for the Rhode Island Lung Association; and member of the Rhode Island Agricultural Land Preservation Commission.

The Honorable Robert G. Flanders, Jr., senior partner, Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP

Doctor of Laws

The Honorable Robert G. Flanders, Jr., is a partner in the law firm of Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP, a position he has held since 2004. Previously, he served as associate justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court for more than eight years.

A graduate of Brown University and Harvard Law School, Justice Flanders recently chaired the State Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education, and served as a Governor on the State Board of Higher Education. In 2011, Governor Chafee asked Justice Flanders to serve as the State Receiver for the financially troubled city of Central Falls.

In addition to his professional involvement, Justice Flanders serves on numerous boards of directors in both the for profit and nonprofit sectors including Women & Infants Hospital, Providence Public Library Foundation and the Greater Providence YMCA.

Betty Anne Waters '98L, Esq., crusading lawyer active in the work of the Innocence Project

Doctor of Laws

Betty Anne Waters, Esq., became a household name when she transformed herself from an unemployed waitress and single mother of two with a GED, to a law student at the Roger Williams University School of Law. After graduation, she set out on an 18-year quest to prove the innocence of her brother, Kenny – convicted of a murder he swore he didn't commit and sentenced to life in prison in Massachusetts – who was later exonerated in 2001. Her miraculous story was chronicled in the 2010 Hollywood feature film "Conviction."

Now a crusading lawyer active in the work of the Innocence Project, a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals, Ms. Waters continues her work in freeing wrongfully convicted individuals as well as fighting for the rights of prison inmates.

About RWU: Roger Williams University is a leading independent, coeducational liberal arts university at which students live and learn to be global citizens. With 41 academic programs and an array of co-curricular activities on its Bristol, R.I., campus, RWU is committed to its mantra of learning to bridge the world. In the last decade, the University has achieved unprecedented academic and financial successes and continues to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten educational institutions in its class.

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