Coaches to address undergrads

Two members of the MSU community who emphasize excellence in academics as well as athletics will address candidates for undergraduate degrees at spring convocation ceremonies May 4.

Tom Izzo

Ron Mason

Wendy Baldwin

Tom Izzo, men's basketball head coach and Ron Mason, ice hockey head coach, will speak at the undergraduate convocation set for 1 p.m. at Breslin Student Events Center. Each will receive an honorary doctor of education.

Wendy Baldwin, deputy director of extramural research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and visionary leader in bioengineering and bioethics, will address advanced degree candidates at ceremonies set for 7 p.m., also at Breslin Center. She will receive an honorary doctor of science.

"Ron Mason and Tom Izzo are recognized nationally by their peers, by the media and by so many others as elite coaches," said Provost Lou Anna K. Simon. "But we honor them at undergraduate commencement ceremonies for their appreciation for and frequent articulation of the academic mission of MSU in the classroom and in society.

"They are teachers in the land-grant spirit who not only select winners; they teach people to be winners in life and in the classroom."

Izzo, head coach of the men's basketball team for six years, has linked classroom, community and the basketball court to create a culture of excellence and success at MSU. He seeks quality and provides opportunities for those willing to work in order to reach their potential as student-athletes and as citizens of the community. In his role as teacher, he demands each student-athlete strive for academic excellence.

Mason, head coach of the hockey team for 22 years, has had a career distinguished by a steadfast commitment to success in athletics, academics and community activities. He has inspired his student-athletes to recognize that their lives demand an invigorating balance of challenges and responsibilities.

Both coaches' student-athletes have been recognized as "Champions in the Classroom" for their academic prowess and for encouraging children to succeed.

"While these men have been appropriately honored many times for their coaching abilities and records, it is important MSU recognize their impressive impact on this community -- an impact that extends far beyond Breslin and Munn," President Peter McPherson said.

"Ron and Tom are valued role models who have, I think, a very special understanding of and appreciation for the role of this University," McPherson said. "They have influenced lives; they have led the way in their profession as advocates for excellence in the classroom, service in the community and rules compliance in their sports."

Baldwin has implemented mechanisms for the support of several scientific areas and is the key adviser to the NIH director on policies and procedures for extramural research, which accounts for more than 80 percent of the NIH budget.

Baldwin's office is the crossroads for the development of policies and management of issues affecting scientists outside the NIH in more than 2,000 universities, research institutions and small businesses throughout the country.

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