Friday, March 30, 2012

Producer, Director, Humanitarian Bill Duke to Speak at Widener University Commencement


Chester, Pa.—Bill Duke, the African American godfather of American cinema, will deliver the Widener University commencement address and receive an honorary doctorate of public service degree on May 14 in a ceremony beginning at 9:45 a.m. on the quad behind Old Main on Widener’s Main Campus in Chester. Nearly 800 students will graduate with associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.

Duke recently received a Lifetime Achievement Tribute from the Directors Guild of America, joining the ranks of directors Stephen Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock and Clint Eastwood. He is also a humanitarian and activist who serves on the Board of Trustees of Educating Young Minds, an after school program that helps inner city youth to excel in school and life. He is also involved with the United Nations UNAIDS mission to eliminate AIDS globally.

“Bill Duke has not only been an outstanding leader in the motion picture industry, he has also chosen to give back to the community in the spirit of civic engagement,” said Widener University President James T. Harris III. “His leadership and community service are prime examples of the qualities that we hope to instill in Widener students, and we are very fortunate to have him as our commencement speaker.”

The founder and chief executive officer of Duke Media, formerly Yagya Productions, Duke has been producing film and television for more than 30 years. Duke Media is recognized as a world-wide leader in leveraging media via the new film industry paradigm of the internet. The Bill Duke Web Network has established an international following that has proven viewers crave to be both entertained and educated.

Duke formerly served on the Board of Trustees at the American Film Institute. Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also appointed him to the California State Film Commission Board. Duke served as the Time Warner Endowed Chair in the Department of Radio Television and Film at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He was also appointed to the National Endowment of the Humanities by President Bill Clinton.

Duke's directing credits include The Killing Floor, A Rage in Harlem, SisterAct 2, Deep Cover, Hoodlum, The Cemetery Club, Cover and Not Easily Broken, Black Diamonds: The Evolution of Blacks in Baseball and Dark Girls.

Duke's acting credits include Predator, American Gigolo, Car Wash, Commando, Menace II Society, Bird on a Wire, The Limey, Get Rich or Die Trying, X-Men 3, Henry’s Crime, and The Big Bang.

Widener University is a private, metropolitan university that connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal attention, and experiential learning are key components of the Widener experience. A comprehensive doctorate-granting university, Widener comprises eight schools and colleges that offer liberal arts and sciences, professional and pre-professional curricula leading to associate’s, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. The university’s campuses in Chester, Exton, and Harrisburg, Pa., and Wilmington, Del., serve some 6,600 students. Visit the university website, www.widener.edu.

2 comments:

  1. So Excited about this.... I had no idea.. I am graduating this day and what a wonderful suprise...

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    Replies
    1. As a Widener graduate, I am also excited about this event. Congratulations on your upcoming graduation.

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