2019 Commencement Speakers
March 8, 2019
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community:
I am pleased to announce Skidmore’s 108th Commencement Exercises to be held Saturday,
May 18, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. We are very proud to announce that
at this year’s Commencement ceremony, Skidmore will confer honorary degrees upon two
extraordinary individuals:
Alan Lightman is an acclaimed author, educator, physicist and social entrepreneur. The professor
of the practice of the humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is
the author of multiple books, including “Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine”
and “Einstein’s Dreams.” “Einstein’s Dreams” was selected as the Class of 2019’s First-Year
Experience reading assignment and informed engaging discussions regarding the relationships
between people and time. Lightman also visited Skidmore’s campus in fall 2015.
Joe Torre is Major League Baseball’s chief baseball officer, a celebrated former manager with
four World Series wins and a nine-time All-Star player. He was inducted into the National
Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in 2014. In addition to his impressive
baseball career, Torre overcame personal adversity and childhood trauma and has used
his experience to help others by establishing the Safe at Home Foundation and Margaret’s
Place, organizations that help children affected by domestic violence.
Following a Skidmore tradition, a faculty member selected by the graduates will speak
as well. I am pleased to announce that Kristie A. Ford, professor of sociology and director of Skidmore’s Center for Leadership, Teaching
and Learning, has been chosen for this distinct honor. Ford’s academic research focuses
on race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and social justice education. In addition
to her work at Skidmore, Ford consults widely with colleges and universities across
the United States, facilitating workshops on teaching and learning as well as diversity,
inclusivity and social justice.
Each of our distinguished speakers will briefly address the graduating class. Board
of Trustees Chair W. Scott McGraw P’12, Class of 2019 President Nigel Smith and I
will also offer our congratulations.
For more information about Commencement 2019, please see our website. We look forward to celebrating this special milestone with the Class of 2019, their
families and guests in May.
Sincerely,
Philip A. Glotzbach
President
Skidmore College