Rowan to confer honorary doctorates on Glassboro Mayor Leo McCabe & retired astronaut Bonnie J. Dunbar

Rowan University during its annual Commencement celebration in May will confer honorary doctoral degrees on Glassboro Mayor Leo McCabe and retired astronaut Bonnie J. Dunbar, a five-time space traveller who is also delivering a Commencement address May 12.

A resident since 1962, McCabe has been mayor of Glassboro since January 2002.

McCabe, who holds a Ph. D. in organic chemistry from The Ohio State University, retired from Mobil Oil as a senior consultant and manager of fuels and air quality research. He holds numerous patents and is recognized as an international expert in fuels and air quality.

Long active in the community, he was a founding member of the Boys and Girls Club of Gloucester County, a president of the Glassboro Education Foundation, a member of the Glassboro Planning Board, a longtime member of the Glassboro Board of Education, and a member of the Church of St. Bridget and St. Anthony’s Society.

He is an Executive Board member of the N.J. League of Municipalities and its Legislative Committee, a former president of the Gloucester County Mayors Association and serves on the Board of Directors of the N.J. Conference of Mayors.

Rowan President Dr. Ali Houshmand noted that McCabe has been a strong supporter of Rowan University in both official and unofficial capacities.

“Mayor McCabe has been an active partner in the development of Rowan Boulevard and countless other initiatives that have led to the betterment of our community,” Houshmand said.

McCabe will be recognized with an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree during the main Commencement ceremony for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences May 15.

Dunbar, who will deliver the keynote address during the main Commencement ceremony for the colleges of Engineering and Science & Mathematics and the School of Biomedical Science & Health Professions May 12, is an inductee into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, a NASA veteran with 27 years of service who took part in five space flights and totaled more than 50 days in space.

Dunbar holds a Ph. D. in engineering from the University of Houston where she is a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering and heads the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Center.

“Dr. Dunbar is truly an inspiration, an American patriot who we will be honored to have join us at Commencement,” Houshmand said.

Dunbar will receive in honorary Doctor of Engineering degree during the ceremony.

Rowan names Ed Glavin, executive producer of “Ellen,” distinguished alumnus

A 1985 graduate of Glassboro State College, Ed Glavin, originally of Lindenwold, will be honored as the University’s distinguished alumnus of the year in May.

Glavin has served as executive producer for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” since the show’s inception in 2003. Glavin has earned fifteen Daytime Emmy Awards, three Genesis Awards and one GLAAD Award for his work on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” In addition, Glavin won the Johnny Carson Producers-of-the-Year Award in Variety Television from the Producers Guild in 2005 and 2006 respectively.

Prior to his work on “Ellen,” Glavin began his career with an internship at KYW-TV in Philadelphia and went on to production posts on the “Morton Downey Jr. Show,” “The Donahue Show” and others including “Jenny Jones,” “The Queen Latifah Show,” and “The Caroline Rhea Show.”

Four days, six ceremonies, six keynote speakers

Rowan, which is in the midst of a historic growth phase, completely redesigned its annual Commencement celebration for 2015 from one day to four to better accommodate students and loved ones.

Changes to Commencement, which will be held May 12-15, enable graduate and undergraduate programs to be combined into unified programs and allow unlimited guests at events on University Green, the main Commencement venue. (There will be a four-ticket limit per student for indoor venues.)

The changes are also expected to ease traffic congestion and the availability of hotel rooms and restaurant reservations.

In addition to Dunbar, Rowan’s 2015 roster of Commencement speakers include:

• Celebrated physician Dr. Norman Vinn for the School of Osteopathic Medicine May 13.
• Pop culture critic Ken Tucker for the colleges of Communication & Creative Arts and Performing Arts May 14.
• N.J. Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks for the College of Education May 14.
• Sony Electronics President and COO Mike Fasulo for the Rohrer College of Business May 15.
• Univision executive Ashley Abdullah, a 2006 Rowan graduate, for the College of Humanities & Social Sciences May 15.

For more information about Rowan’s Commencement celebration, please visit www.rowan.edu/commencement.