Steven Koblik to Speak at President Hales' Final Commencement Ceremony

Steven Koblik

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WOOSTER, Ohio - College of Wooster President R. Stanton Hales will preside over his final commencement ceremony on Monday, May 14, at 10 a.m. in the Oak Grove (1200 Beall Ave.). Hales, who will retire on June 30 after 12 years as president, has invited longtime friend and colleague Steven Koblik, president of Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, Calif., to be the keynote speaker.

A diplomatic historian, Koblik holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, in history and Scandinavian languages, an M.A. from the University of Stockholm in international relations, and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University in modern European history. His numerous books and articles have focused on Scandinavia, and in particular its experiences during the two World Wars of the 20th Century. An award-winning teacher at Pomona College, where he and Hales first met, Koblik received an honorary doctorate from the University of Lund (Sweden) for his contributions to modern Swedish history and an honorary doctorate from Occidental College for his many contributions there. He recently received an honorary doctorate from Pomona as well. His latest book, The Stones Cry Out: Sweden's Response to German Persecution of Jews, 1933-1945, has been widely acclaimed for its pioneering research. Prior to his current position, Koblik served as president of Reed College (1992-2001). Before that, he had been dean of the faculty at Scripps College (1989-1992) and professor of history at Pomona College and the Claremont Graduate School (1968-1991).

The annual Baccalaureate service, which will be held Sunday, May 13, at 10 a.m. in McGaw Chapel (340 E. University St.), will feature the Rev. Marie Cross from the Synod of the Covenant, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). A teacher, writer, and minister, Cross earned her M. Div. and D. Min. at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Prior to her position with the Synod, she served congregations in Louisville and southern Indiana. During that time, she was also an adjunct faculty member at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Before her arrival at the Synod in 2003, Cross was an interim chaplain at Hanover College, moderator of the Ohio Valley Presbytery, and a program evaluator for Lilly Endowment Inc. Her volunteer work includes leading workshops, seminars, and retreats for Presbyterian women.

In addition to the estimated 400 undergraduate degrees to be conferred on May 14, several honorary degrees will also be given. Among the recipients will be Carlos Cortes, professor emeritus of history at University of California, Riverside, and Leroy Hood, a renowned biologist and a leading contributor to the human genome project.

Cortes specializes in ethnic history, multicultural education, mass media, and Latin American and Chicano history. He has traveled extensively across the United States, Asia, Europe, Australia, and Latin America lecturing on his teaching and research. He has also served as a consultant to a number of government agencies, mass media outlets, school systems, universities, and private businesses. In addition, he has received various distinguished awards, including the Rockefeller Foundation Research Fellowship and the Distinguished Humanist Award from the Council for the Humanities. He earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of New Mexico, master's degrees in Spanish and journalism from the University of New Mexico and Columbia University, respectively, and a B.A. from University of California, Berkeley.

Hood's research revolves around molecular immunology and biotechnology. He won the 2003 Lemelson-MIT Prize for the invention of four devices crucial to unlocking the human biology enigma, one of which is the automated DNA sequencer, which creates proteins and synthesizes DNA. Hood has co-founded multiple biotechnology firms and the Institute for Systems Biology, for which he currently serves as president. The winner of several prestigious scientific awards, Hood has received 12 patents, published more than 500 peer-reviewed papers, and co-authored several textbooks in his field. He earned his M.D. from Johns Hopkins University and his Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology. He also was awarded an honorary degree from Bates College.