Wells College Announces Laurie Munroe Abkemeier As Commencement Speaker

AURORA , NY (04/20/2011)(readMedia)-- Wells College has announced that Laurie Munroe Abkemeier, Wells College class of 1992, will deliver this year's commencement address. Abkemeier is highly successful literary agent and a former book editor. The College's 143rd commencement will be held at 10 a.m. on May 27, 2011, lakeside at the Aurora Inn. The College expects 135 graduates.

Abkemeier is a literary agent with DeFiore and Company, where she represents more than fifty journalists, bloggers, poets, academics, and artists. She has also negotiated film and television deals on behalf of her authors, who include John Grogan (author of the multimillion-copy bestseller "Marley & Me," made into a movie starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston), and Kate Torgovnick (author of "Cheer!," which is the basis for "Hellcats," starring Ashley Tisdale and Aly Michalka, shown on The CW). Most recently she created and launched a publishing advice app, Agent Obvious, and has developed a network of online and social media to support her authors and promote the publishing industry. She is active on Tumblr, Twitter, and other social media outlets.

Abkemeier began her career as an editorial assistant at Simon & Schuster in New York City, and after two years moved to Hyperion, where she was responsible for five New York Times bestsellers, including "Brain Droppings" by George Carlin, "Rock This!" by Chris Rock, "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem!" by Jeff Foxworthy, and "First Person Plural" by Cameron West, Ph.D.

Hailing from Eureka, California, Abkemeier graduated from Wells with a B.A. in communications, which she crafted as an individualized major. During her time at Wells she pursued her interest in journalism, as she worked in the public relations office, launched the Lakeside Press–the only campus newspaper at the time-and wrote her senior thesis on the women of television news. In addition, she spent a January internship writing and announcing the evening news for a radio station in her hometown, as well as taking advantage of the Washington semester at The American University, where she interned at ABC's "Nightline with Ted Koppel" during the Gulf War. She also worked for the Syracuse Post-Standard, and had a semester-long internship at the Ithaca Journal.

"Laurie's approach to lifelong learning and her entrepreneurial spirit embody the thoughtful criteria provided by the Class of 2011's class officers," said President Lisa Marsh Ryerson in an email announcement to the Wells community.

Wells College is a nationally recognized private liberal arts college located on the shores of beautiful Cayuga Lake. Founded in 1868 and coeducational since 2005, Wells provides an academically rigorous and relationship-based educational experience strengthened by the College's small size, residential atmosphere, and dedication to experiential learning. The mission of Wells College is to teach students to think critically, reason wisely, and act humanely as they cultivate meaningful lives.

www.wells.edu

Wells College-the Education of an Extraordinary Life