Commencement Speaker: Dr. Marilyn W. Smith

SALISBURY, MD---Dr. Marilyn W. Smith, director of the Department of Service-Learning, Corporation for National and Community Service, delivers the Commencement address to Salisbury State University graduates on Saturday, May 27, at 10 a.m. at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center. Smith will discuss "Platitudes, Cliches and Myths: Seeking Your Own Truth."

At SSU's 75th spring Commencement, 906 students are expected to receive degrees: 500 will receive the Bachelor of Science; 279, Bachelor of Arts; 49, Bachelor of Arts in Social Work; three, Bachelor of Fine Arts; 21, Master of Business Administration; 29, Master of Education; 14, Master of Arts; and 11, Master of Science.

Smith, whose daughter Shayna will be among the SSU graduates in the audience, joined the Corporation for National and Community Service in March 1997 after serving as the executive director of Maryland's Governor's Commission on Service for three years. She served as a member of the faculty of the Center for Political Leadership and Participation at the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP), teaching courses oncommunity service leadership and policy.

She earned her Ph.D. in education policy from UMCP, completing her dissertation on service-learning in higher education. Smith was the vice president of the board of directors of the Baltimore mentoring partnership and a former member of the National and Community Service Coalition, and the National Advisory Council of the National Service-Learning Cooperative.

Smith has pursued her broad interests in education policy, research and assessment; and special interests in service- learning, literacy and mentoring for many years. As a result, she was invited by the University of Michigan to contribute the article "Community Service-Learning: Striking the Chord of Citizenship" for the premiere edition of the Journal of Community Service Learning and researched and developed The Two of Us: A Handbook for Mentors for the Abell Foundation.

Formerly Smith was the director of the Career Center at UMCP and the program director for Maryland's national service summer of service demonstration program, MPOWER. She began hercareer in education as an elementary school teacher and holds an M.A. in reading/literacy education from Ohio State University.

Admission to Salisbury State University Commencement is by ticket only. For more information, please call the SSU Public Relations Office at 410-543-6030.