Chancellor Biddy Martin announced Wednesday that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be the 2010 Saturday morning commencement speaker.
Martin said in a statement that it is an honor to have a Cabinet member speak at graduation.
""Secretary Duncan is a dynamic and forward-thinking policymaker who is shaping American education for coming generations,"" Martin said in the statement.
According to a statement prior to serving as a Cabinet member, Duncan was the chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools for seven years.
David Musolf, UW-Madison secretary of faculty, said Duncan is an individual of high stature and his speech will benefit the graduates.
""Those kinds of individuals have a platform from which they speak and what they say is very meaningful to the graduates. It is certainly an honor to our institution to have someone from the Cabinet speaking at graduation and people will appreciate his perspective,"" said Musolf.
James Kass, a 1991 UW-Madison graduate and founder of Youth Speaks, will also speak at commencement
Youth Speaks, which was founded in 1996, is a nonprofit that teaches young students to use reading and writing to produce social change with an emphasis on spoken word.
Martin said that Kass will provide the graduates with a unique perspective on education.
""Our graduate James Kass is inspiring and challenging young people across the nation to use their talents creatively,"" Martin said in a statement.
The 2010 commencement ceremony is scheduled to begin Friday, May 13 and end Sunday, May 15.
—Kayla Johnson
