WSU Spring 2005 Commencement: International Company President, American Indian Leader and Governor to Address Graduates

PULLMAN, Wash. — An international company president from Iowa, an American Indian leader from Oregon and the governor of Washington will speak at Washington State University’s 109^th spring commencement May 7 at Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum.

WSU graduate Christopher Nelson, president of Kemin Industries, Des Moines, Iowa, will speak at the 8 a.m. ceremony for graduates in agricultural, human, and natural resource sciences; engineering and architecture; pharmacy; sciences and veterinary medicine. WSU graduate Wendell Jim, general manager of the education branch of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, will speak to graduates at the 11:30 a.m. liberal arts ceremony. Gov. Christine Gregoire will speak at the 3 p.m. ceremony for business and economics, education and nursing graduates.

WSU President V. Lane Rawlins will preside at all three ceremonies, which are open to the public.

Teri Nelson, university commencement coordinator, estimates about 2,300 students — 2,100 undergraduates and 200 graduate and professional students — are expected to take part in the three ceremonies. Recently, WSU has conferred approximately 5,300 bachelor’s, master’s, professional and doctoral degrees in a typical year.

In 1980, Christopher Nelson earned a WSU biochemistry and biophysics doctoral degree. He studied in the WSU Department of Agricultural Chemistry. His doctoral adviser was Clarence “Bud” A. Ryan Jr., the first WSU faculty member admitted to the National Academy of Sciences.  During the 8 a.m. ceremony, Ryan will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree from WSU.

As president, Nelson leads Kemin, a global nutritional ingredient company specializing in improving human and animal health through molecular innovations. Kemin operates manufacturing facilities on six continents and has more than 45 offices worldwide.

Wendell Jim is a WSU education graduate. As a student, he was president of Ku Ah Mah, the Associated Students of WSU’s American Indian student organization. In 1981, he received a Native American Student of the Year award from the National Indian Education Association honoring his leadership in cultural education programs.

An Indian education issues and rights advocate, Jim is helping develop government-to-government collaboration models, interagency partnerships and legislation pertaining to tribal sovereignty, treaty rights and education. Representing the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, he is a member of the WSU Native American Advisory Board to WSU’s president. One of the board’s priority recommendations to the president was to establish a Plateau Center at the university. The center will foster collaborative partnerships with American Indian communities to further interdisciplinary research and scholarship, curriculum development, access to WSU resources, and expanded educational opportunities for American Indians. 

Before becoming the state’s governor in January, Gregoire served three terms as Washington’s attorney general, the first woman elected to the position in state history. As attorney general, she led a statewide program resulting in a comprehensive reform of the state’s juvenile system and helped pass a new state government ethics law. Gregoire was lead negotiator for states in a lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Its landmark settlement mandates restrictions on cigarette advertising and youth marketing. A University of Washington graduate, she earned a law degree from Gonzaga University.

The governor appoints WSU Board of Regents members, approved by the state Senate. Also, the governor serves as an advisory member ex officio without vote or the right to hold office on the board.