Businesswoman Mellody Hobson will deliver the 2012 Commencement address and receive an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Saint Mary's, the College announced Monday. Literacy advocate and businesswoman Kathleen Flynn Fox, a 1974 Saint Mary's alumna, will also be awarded an honorary doctor of humanities degree at the ceremony, according to a press release.
Susan Fitzgerald Rice, a 1961 College alumna and member of the SMC Board of Trustees, will receive the President's Medal for her "exceptional contributions to the life of the College and society," the press release stated.
Hobson, a Chicago native and Princeton University graduate, is the current president of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based money management firm where she is responsible for firm-wide management and strategic planning, according to the press release.
Hobson is nationally known for her expertise in financial literacy and investor education. She has appeared as a financial contributor on "Good Morning America" and ABC's "World News Tonight." She currently serves as a weekly finance expert of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show radio program and is a contributor to Black Enterprise magazine. Additionally, her financial expertise has been profiled in a number of well-known publications including Essence, Fortune and the New York Times.
Commencement will take place May 19 at noon on Le Mans Green.
