2009 Featured Speaker Is William Kirwan

William English Kirwan, the third chancellor of the University System of Maryland, will present the address at the 142nd University of Kentucky Commencement at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9, in Rupp Arena.

Kirwan, a UK graduate and the son of UK's seventh president, Albert D. Kirwan, took the reins at the Maryland system in 2002, after serving four years as president of The Ohio State University. He was president of the University of Maryland at College Park from 1988 to 1998, having been a faculty member there for 24 years prior.

Kirwan is a nationally recognized authority on critical issues shaping higher education. He has spoken on a wide range of issues, including diversity, access and affordability, cost containment, accountability, economic impact, gender equity, financial aid, partnerships, and innovation.

He was appointed to the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics in 2006 and became its co-chair in 2007. Kirwan is past chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) board of directors and of the American Council on Education's board.

He received the 2008 Reginald H. Jones Distinguished Service Award from the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, recognizing significant contributions to increasing the representation of minorities in science, technology, engineering, and math careers.

In addition to his bachelor's degree in mathematics from UK in 1960, Kirwan earned his master's (1962) and doctoral (1964) degrees in mathematics from Rutgers University. He was inducted into the UK Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 1989. His wife, Patricia Harper Kirwan, is also a UK graduate, and a classmate of Kirwan since seventh grade. They have two children and three grandchildren.

Student Speaker Is Drew Trimble

If passion, heart, and perseverance are necessary elements for succeeding in a given endeavor, University of Kentucky graduating senior Drew Trimble has what it takes, and in great quantity.

Selected to be the Class of 2009's representative to speak to the thousands in attendance at UK's Main Commencement Ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9, in Rupp Arena, this Johnson County, Ky. native relishes a challenge.

When Trimble told his mother that he not only intended to attend the Commonwealth's flagship university, he planned on getting involved in campus life and making his mark, she cautioned him that he was now about to be "a small fish in a big pond." After all, she said, the size of Johnson Central High School pales in comparison to that of UK.

Trimble had attended a Preview Night for high school students in his home region and listened intently to one of UK's student ambassadors talk about what the university is like. Trimble liked what he heard, made a campus visit, and fell in love with UK. At that moment, he made it a goal that he one day would become a student ambassador himself speaking at a future Preview Night and would also become a student tour guide. His dream was fulfilled on both counts — Trimble has been a tour guide for UK's Visitor Center since 2006, and he has spoken to prospective students at Preview Nights.

A double major in political science and communication with a 4.0 GPA, Trimble will receive his Bachelor of Arts degree on May 9. And, as part of the University Scholars Program, he is concurrently finishing up his first year of graduate work toward a master's in public administration from UK's highly-regarded Martin School of Public Policy and Administration.

As for the future, he is strongly leaning toward attending the UK College of Law to round out his education.

Deeply committed to his faith, recent summers have seen Trimble travel to Peru and Panama to do evangelistic missionary work and help with health care clinics.

His involvement on campus includes the University Leadership Summit, serving as a K Book editor, Student Development Council, and his aforementioned role as a UK Ambassador.

Trimble sees great things ahead for the University of Kentucky and for the people of the state, including the citizens of the mountains in Eastern Kentucky. "I don't buy into the stereotypes which outsiders often use to describe Kentucky and its people," said Trimble. "The best way to overcome a stereotype is to confront it and beat it. When UK students go up against their peers from other top schools around the country in academic competitions and win, you don't hear those stereotypical comments anymore."

If you want to be inspired, come to UK's Main Commencement Ceremony and listen to this young man speak about his love for the University of Kentucky and his passion for life.