Even if Ohio University’s six regional campuses are scattered throughout Ohio, they will have a presence at this year’s undergraduate graduation ceremony in Athens.
Chuck Stuckey, former CEO of online security company RSA Security, Inc. and a 1966 Ohio University alumnus, will deliver the commencement address for those graduating this year.
“It is an honor and privilege to have Charles Stuckey address Ohio University’s Class of 2014 at the recommendation of our Student Senate,” OU President Roderick McDavis said in a news release. “(Chuck) is a great example of what one person can accomplish through hard work and commitment. His generosity in supporting college access and student excellence for future Bobcats is admirable.
Stuckey contributed $2 million to OU’s fundraising campaign, for the development of the Academic and Research Center, which recognizes Stuckey and his wife in its full name, the Charles R. and Marilyn Y. Stuckey and Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s Academic and Research Center.
Stuckey will speak at both the 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies, and Aimee Edmondson, the 2013 Outstanding Graduate Faculty Member and a professor of journalism, will serve as this year’s graduate commencement speaker.
OU’s regional campuses have separate graduation ceremonies on their campuses.
Each year, OU’s Student Senate compiles recommendations for the undergraduate commencement speaker, and those candidates go through an internal review, Stephanie Filson, director of external communications, said in an email.
OU typically asks alumni to be commencement speakers. Ohio public universities don’t compensate commencement speakers, according to a previous
Post article.
Stuckey was offered the job in February.
He is unsure what he wants to talk about during his 20 allocated minutes, but he said he will likely include thoughts about the regional campuses because of his education at the OU Lancaster campus.
“I’m just putting some thoughts down and trying to figure out what message I want to leave them with in the allotted time I’m allowed to talk,” Stuckey said.
Stuckey started his education at OU’s Lancaster campus while balancing a full-time position with the Anchor Hocking Glass Company; he graduated from OU with a mechanical engineering degree.
Stuckey then worked in the information technology field, serving as president and CEO of RSA Security, Inc. as it grew from a company of 18 to 1,500 employees and one of the top 100 security software companies in the world.
“You learn to take a big problem that seems insurmountable and break it down,” Stuckey said. “I tend to operate that way, and I didn’t really know how much of that came from my university experience.”
Stuckey and his wife currently live between houses in Florida and Boston, but he still serves as one of the lecturers for the Stocker Lecture Series within the Russ College of Engineering.
“To this group, I feel like I can relate to them because I’ve been so involved in giving lectures and one-on-ones,” Stuckey said. “I have a fairly good feel as to where they’re coming from and things they might want to hear when leaving the university.”
Recent Commencement Speakers
2014 Chuck Stuckey: former OU National Trustee and CEO of RSA Security Inc.
2013 Andy Alexander: journalist, former Washington Post ombudsman
2012 Nancy Cartwright: voice artist, famous for voicing Bart Simpson of The Simpsons
2011 Atul Gwande: surgeon and journalist
2010 Melanie Sabelhaus: former deputy administrator of the U.S. Department of Small Business Administration
2009 Hermon Leonard: photographer
2008 Peter King: sports writer
2007 Jenny Hwang: president of the H-Technologies Group
2006 Brian Unger: actor, comedian, writer, producer and commentator
2005 Arlene “Phoebe” Beasley: artist
DK123111@ohiou.edu
@DANIELLEROSE84
