Former NASA Astronaut to give Monmouth University Commencement Address

Now that Monmouth University’s 2010-11 year is coming to a close, many are now anticipating graduation, which will take place on May 18 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.

One of the biggest questions people have about graduation is who will be giving the commencement address. It was recently announced that for the 2011 graduation, NASA Administrator and former astronaut Charles F. Bolden Jr. is the individual who will be giving the address.

Bolden will not only give the commencement address during the school’s 78^th graduation ceremony, but he will also be receiving an honorary degree during the event, which will kick off at 1:30 p.m.

Bolden is a former astronaut, as well as a retired U.S. Marine Corps major general. In 2009, he was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as the 12^th administrator of NASA, becoming the first African-American to serve at the position.

Bolden began his work with NASA in 1980. He traveled to orbit four times, and commanded two of the missions. His flights included the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope, and he participated in the first joint U.S.-Russian shuttle mission.

He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1968 with a degree in electrical science. After completing flight training, he became a respected naval aviator. With  the Marine Corps, he flew more than 100 combat missions in North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Bolden retired from the Marine Corps in 2003, and during his tenure he received such decorations as the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. To honor Bolden for his achievements, in 2006, he was named as an inductee to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

For more information on Bolden, as well as the 2011 Monmouth University commencement activities, visit www.monmouth.edu.