Central Michigan University's summer and fall graduates will hear from three accomplished alumni at their respective commencement ceremonies on Dec. 15 at McGuirk Arena in the John G. Kulhavi Events Center.
Human resources executive
Deirdre Drake, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at U.S. Cellular Corp., will speak at 9 a.m. during the first of the three commencement ceremonies.
Previously, Drake was managing director and chief human resources officer for the Bank of Montreal Financial Group-Capital Markets Division.
Drake, who graduated from CMU in 1989 with a degree in human resources management, will receive an honorary doctor of commercial science degree.
Health care advocate
Janice Fialka, nationally recognized lecturer, author and award-winning advocate on issues related to disability, inclusion and raising a child with disabilities from Huntington Woods, Michigan, will speak at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony.
Prior to her work in disability and inclusion, Fialka founded and directed several teen health centers in Detroit and Taylor, Michigan, while pioneering work in adolescent sexuality and health care.
Fialka, who received a degree in sociology from CMU in 1973, will receive an honorary doctor of letters degree.
Laboratory medicine innovator
Daniel Edson, president and co-founder of the American Proficiency Institute in Traverse City, Michigan, will address the 5:30 p.m. graduates.
After developing a new technique to assess the accuracy of laboratory tests in 1991, Edson expanded his technique and started the American Proficiency Institute in his dining room. Now the company has 20,000 hospital and physician subscribers and is nationally recognized as a leader in quality assurance for laboratory medicine.
Edson earned his bachelor's degree in biology from CMU in 1973 and will receive an honorary doctor of science degree.