Soledad O'Brien, television journalist and former anchor for CNN, will give the Senior Convocation address during Cornell's 139th Commencement Weekend, May 26-27. Convocation will be Saturday, May 26, at noon in Schoellkopf Stadium for graduating seniors, their families and guests. Members of the Ithaca community are invited to attend.

"The Convocation committee sought a speaker who exemplified the ability to combine intellect with both values and leadership," said Janine Stanisz, chair of the Convocation 2007 student committee, which decided on the speaker. "Her coverage of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 terrorist attack in London and the 2004 tsunami in Asia demonstrate her vast professional experience as well as her ability to deliver a message that all Cornellians will identify with and admire."

O'Brien, 41, is the daughter of an Australian father of Irish descent and an Afro-Cuban mother. She graduated from Harvard University and moved up the ranks in TV news programs before landing her position as a CNN anchor. She was part of the CNN team that won a Peabody Award for the coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the Alfred I. DuPont Award for the coverage of the 2004 Asian tsunami disaster. She also was awarded the President's Award by the NAACP and the Women of Power Award by the National Urban League. She is a member of both the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Recent Cornell Convocation speakers include Martin Luther King III, former Attorney General Janet Reno, Gen. Wesley Clark and former President Bill Clinton.

The severe weather location for Senior Convocation is Cornell's Barton Hall.