(Posted May 12, 2003)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Stanley Ikenberry, former president of the American Council on Education and former president of University of Illinois, will deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree from Juniata College May 11 at 2 p.m. during Juniata's 125th commencement ceremony.

Ikenberry, now a regent professor and president emeritus at the University of Illinois, also is president of the Board of Overseers for TIAA-CREF, the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association College Retirement Equities Fund, one of the largest financial services providers in the world.

As president of the American Council on Education (ACE) from 1996 to 2001, Ikenberry led a coalition of more than 1,200 colleges and universities and 30 higher education associations to increase public awareness of how to plan and pay for college. He also led an effort to move the education of teachers to the forefront of the agendas for college and university presidents.

"To host an educator of Dr. Ikenberry's stature is a testimonial to the excellence of Juniata's academic programs," says Juniata president Thomas Kepple.

During his tenure at ACE, Ikenberry also helped pass the Clinton administration's Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax credits.

Ikenberry also served as president of the University of Illinois from 1979 to 1995. In his tenure there he consolidated the University of Illinois at Chicago into the metropolitan area's largest research university campus. He also led the initiatives to create the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the university's Champaign-Urbana campus. Before joining the University of Illinois, Ikenberry was senior vice president for administration at Penn State University from 1978 to 1979. He also held an appointment as professor of higher education. He served as senior vice president for university development and relations and as associate director of the Penn State Center for the Study of Higher Education from 1971 to 1978.

He earned a bachelor's degree in 1956 from Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, W.Va. He went on to earn a master's degree in 1957 and a doctorate in 1960, both from Michigan State University. He also holds 13 honorary degrees and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

As Regent Professor and President Emeritus, Ikenberry maintains an office in the College of Education on the Champaign-Urbana campus and holds an appointment in the university's Institute of Government and Public Affairs. He currently serves as an adviser to the university on the mobilization of resources within the University's three campuses to strengthen the quality of education at all levels in Illinois.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.