FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GWEN IFILL, PBS CORRESPONDENT AND POLITICAL JOURNALIST, TO DELIVER MANHATTAN COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Political broadcast journalist Gwen Ifill will deliver the keynote address at Manhattan College’s 162nd Undergraduate Commencement on Sunday, May 16.  During the ceremony, she will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Ms. Ifill is moderator and managing editor of PBS’ Washington Week and senior correspondent for The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer.  Before joining the award-winning network, Ms. Ifill spent five years at NBC News as chief congressional and political correspondent.  Her reports have appeared on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Today, Meet the Press and MSNBC.  While at NBC, she covered the top political stories including national political campaigns and conventions, legislation before Congress and the impeachment of President Clinton.

A veteran journalist, Ms. Ifill joined NBC News from The New York Times where she covered the White House and politics.  Ms. Ifill also has covered national and local affairs for The Washington Post, Baltimore Evening Sun and Boston Herald American (now the Boston Herald).

A native of New York City and a graduate of Simmons College, Ms. Ifill has received several honorary degrees and serves on the board of the Harvard University Institute of Politics and the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism.

Manhattan College will award approximately 600 undergraduate degrees in more than 40 major fields of study from its five schools in arts, business, education, engineering and science.  Graduation day will begin with a Baccalaureate Mass at 10:00 a.m. followed by a brunch on the Quadrangle prior to the Commencement ceremony at 1:00 p.m. in the College’s Draddy Gymnasium.

Manhattan College was founded in 1853 upon the Lasallian tradition of excellence in teaching, inspired by St. John Baptist de La Salle.  Manhattan College, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2003,  is an independent, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning that offers more than 40 major programs of study in the areas of arts, business, education, engineering and science.  For more information about the College, visit www.manhattan.edu.

   Manhattan College Parkway
   Riverdale, New York 10471
   718-862-8000 / 1-800-MC2-XCEL

   © Copyright 1995-1999, 2000-2004 Manhattan College, All rights reserved.