NSF director will be VCU's December commencement speaker

We are pleased to announce that National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Sethuraman Panchanathan will be Virginia Commonwealth University ’s December commencement speaker.?

It will be great for our VCU community to hear Panch, as he’s called. Sethuraman Panchanathan is a highly energetic and engaging speaker, and he’ll be inspiring to our graduates.?

Last year, when Panch came to campus, he talked about the “missing millions” – smart students with tremendous potential who face barriers to access.

It really resonated with many of us, because he was talking about VCU's mission. As a public institution, we are focused on reaching those students who need us most. We don’t define excellence by exclusivity and low acceptance rates – we define it by how well we’re helping all students from all backgrounds succeed and complete an education that will positively impact their lives.?

When Panch visited VCU this past February, he invested a day of his time touring our research facilities and talking with our faculty and student researchers about how VCU is advancing NSF-supported scientific discovery, innovation and education. He talked then about how VCU is one of the universities “that matter for the future.”

I’m really looking forward to welcoming Panch back to campus next month, hearing more about? his insights and sharing his warmth and passion with all of our graduates. Commencement is December 9 at 10 a.m. at the Siegel Center. Congratulations to all our graduating Rams!