Olin College

CLASS OF 2018 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Commencement Ceremony on the Olin Great Lawn

The 2018 ceremony will begin at 1:00 p.m. (sharp) on the Olin College Great Lawn. Each graduate will be called to the stage by name to receive his/her degree. A photographer will be recording the event. Information on how to obtain these photographs will available through the Development, Family and Alumni Relations office following Commencement. Guests are encouraged to wear business casual attire to commencement events. 

Commencement Schedule

Saturday, May 19

Sunday, May 20

Guest entrance to the tent will be staggered as follows:

The Ceremony will take place as follows:

2018 Commencement Speaker 

Ursula M. Burns Chairman VEON Supervisory Board

As from July 2017, the Supervisory Board appointed Ursula Burns, as Chairman of VEON’s Supervisory Board. Ursula Burns has extensive international experience of large companies confronting technology change of their industries. Ursula Burns was the Chairman of the Board of the Xerox Corporation from 2010 to 2017 and Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2016.

She joined Xerox as an intern in 1980 and during her career she has held leadership posts spanning corporate services, manufacturing and product development. She was named president in 2007.

During her tenure as chief executive officer, she helped the company transform from a global leader in document technology to the world’s most diversified business services company serving enterprises and governments of all sizes. Shortly after being named CEO in 2009, she spearheaded the largest acquisition in Xerox history, the $6.4 billion purchase of Affiliated Computer Services.

Most recently in 2016, she led Xerox through a successful separation into two independent, publicly traded companies – Xerox Corporation, which is comprised of the company’s Document Technology and Document Outsourcing businesses, and Conduent Incorporated, a business process services company. The separation of the two businesses has enhanced their competitive positions and created significant value creation opportunities. 

Ursula, who regularly appears on Fortune’s and Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women, is a board director of American Express, Exxon Mobil, Nestlé, Veon and Uber. U.S. President Barack Obama appointed Ursula to help lead the White House national program on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) from 2009-2016, and she served as chair of the President’s Export Council from 2015-2016 after service as vice chair 2010-2015.

She also provides leadership counsel to several other community, educational and non-profit organizations including the Ford Foundation, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Corporation, Cornell Tech Board of Overseers, the New York City Ballet, and the Mayo Clinic among others. Burns is a member of the National Academy of Engineers and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Ursula holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York University.