L. Jay Lemons, former chancellor of The University of Virginia's College at Wise, will deliver the keynote address at the College's 32nd commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 19.

More than 270 students are expected to take part in the ceremony, which begins at 11 a.m. on the lawn adjacent to the Theatre Building. The public is invited. Lemons, who left UVa-Wise in February to become president of Susquehanna University, is the speaker most requested by members of the Class of 2001.

"Jay means so much to this institution and to this class that he had to be our speaker," said UVa-Wise Chancellor George E. Culbertson. "I am so pleased that Jay and his family are coming home to spend this special time with us. Jay is a wonderful speaker who is at his best when talking about his home and his friends."

Lemons is the 14th president to lead Susquehanna University, a private, undergraduate institution founded in 1858 and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Located in Selinsgrove, Penn., Susquehanna University is the top regional liberal arts college in the North, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Chancellor of UVa-Wise for eight years, Lemons came to the College after serving as chief of staff in the office of U.Va. President John T. Casteen, III. During his tenure at UVa-Wise, Lemons directed a variety of important projects including the College's 1999 name change.

Other achievements under Lemons' leadership include recruitment of a more talented student body through the implementation of a selective admissions policy, increased faculty salaries, and development of a comprehensive student life program. The College also completed its first-ever capital campaign, which totaled in excess of $21 million, well ahead of initial projections.

Ranked second among the South's public liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report, UVa-Wise is home to 1,500 students. The College offers undergraduate and pre-professional programs in the liberal arts tradition of Thomas Jefferson. For more information about commencement activities, contact Jane Meade-Dean in the Office of College Relations at 540-328-0130.