Former MSU basketball player and NBA player Earvin “Magic” Johnson and General Electric Co. CEO and Chairman Jeffrey Immelt will speak at the undergraduate commencement in December, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon announced Tuesday during an Academic Council meeting.
Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics, will speak at the graduate commencement, Simon said.
Simon said university officials are excited for this year’s speakers to address students and their potential to engage the university community.
“They are very powerful representatives of Michigan State University — what we value and the kinds of work being done,” she said.
Johnson is being recognized for his work as a philanthropist and a business leader, Simon said.
“If you think about his contributions post-basketball, they’re really enormous,” she said. “It’s something very consistent with the university’s vision.”
A spokesperson from University Relations declined to comment further, but said more information will be released next week.
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