Pioneering geneticist Francis S. Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, delivered the 2017 SMU Commencement address “his way” and brought down the house. Watch his cheeky rendition of a Sinatra classic that has drawn almost 2 million views on SMU Facebook, see the Commencement Convocation in its entirety and take a look at more photos of the Class of 2017’s unforgettable day.
Tag: Francis S. Collins
Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the National Institutes of Health who may be best known for leading the Human Genome Project (HGP), will be the featured speaker during SMU’s 102nd all-University Commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 20, in Moody Coliseum.
Dr. Collins – whose own personal research efforts led to the isolation of the genes responsible for cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, Huntington’s disease and Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome – will receive the Doctor of Science degree, honoris causa, from SMU during the ceremony. The entire event, including Collins’ address, will be streamed at smu.edu/live and on SMU Facebook Live, beginning at 9 a.m. (CT).
SMU also will award honorary degrees to pioneering astrophysicist Francis Halzen; attorney, business leader and philanthropist Nancy Nasher; and E.P. Sanders ’62, an alumnus of SMU’s Perkins School of Theology and internationally respected New Testament scholar. The four distinguished leaders in science, the arts and theology will be celebrated during presentations and discussions in the days leading up to Commencement.
Read more at SMU News.