Student, faculty & alumni speakers selected for SPCS 2016 Commencement exercises

The School of Professional and Continuing Studies has selected it featured speakers for its 2016 Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 7, 2016, at 9:00 a.m.

The School has a long-standing tradition of asking students, faculty, and alumni to address graduating students at Commencement rather than having a main speaker or keynote address.

The SPCS student commencement speaker is selected by committee from among the top graduating students. Robert “Ben” Baldwin is this year’s student speaker and is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies degree with a major in IT Management. Baldwin works as an associate auditor of information security systems at the Auditor of Public Accounts for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In this role, he works with various teams to assist in the state’s financial audit process by evaluating and testing controls in information technology systems.

The SPCS faculty speaker is the recipient of the Itzkowitz Family Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award, which is selected by the SPCS student body and recognizes the teaching achievements of an adjunct faculty member. This year’s faculty speaker is Connie Hill, an adjunct instructor teaching courses in finite math and critical thinking and analysis. Hill hold a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a Master of Teaching in secondary education fro Virginia Commonwealth University. A veteran teacher, Hill is chair of the mathematics department at the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, where she has served on the faculty since 1999.

The SPCS alumni speaker is the recipient of the Gibb Family Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of an SPCS graduate and their support of SPCS. This year’s alumni speaker is Lin Koch, C’03. Koch is s semi-retired administrative professional with a long history of service and dedication to the University community. She earned a Bachelor of Applied Studies in human resource management in 2003 and has been a valuable and engaged member of the University staff. Koch began her University carer in 1984 at the Women’s Resource Center and has also worked in the offices of Career Services and Human Resources, where she continues to serve as an part-time administrative floater.