Vol. 18, No. 12	Nov. 19, 1998

Center for integrity founder to speak at Commencement

Chuck Lewis, AS '75, the founder and executive director of the Center for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C., will be the featured speaker at Winter Commencement, scheduled at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 9, in the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center.

Each year, distinguished alumni are invited to speak at Winter Commencement, which recognizes students who complete their degree requirements in August and December.

Attendance at graduation is voluntary. Seating for the ceremony is on a first-come, first-served basis. Each graduating student is entitled to a maximum of six guest tickets, which will be available at the Student Services Building from Dec. 7-11.

Lewis is a graduate of Newark High School with strong ties to the city and state of Delaware. His distinguished career has included serving as an investigative reporter for Carl Bernstein at ABC News and as a producer with CBS' 60 Minutes.

In 1990, he founded the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that investigates and analyzes important, national issues, such as the politics of airline safety, conflict of interest, the food industry's impact on lawmakers, the government's regulation of toxic chemicals and use of corporate and government aircraft in the 1996 presidential campaign. In eight years, the center has produced 34 reports on a variety of important national issues.

Last June, Lewis was selected to receive a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, also know as the "genius award." His $275,000 award carries no restrictions and can be used however he wishes.

Lewis was on the campus in October to announce the creation of a new fellowship at the center, in honor of his former professor and mentor, James R. Soles, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Political Science and International Relations. The James R. Soles Junior Fellowship is a one-year internship for a recent UD graduate, to participate in the work of the center on various book, study and newsletter projects.

For additional information on Winter Commencement activities, including handicapped accommodations, contact the Office of Alumni and University Relations at 831-8741.