Ashley Judd Announced as 2009 Commencement Speaker

Union College has announced that Ashley Judd will receive an honorary degree and deliver the address at the college’s 2009 commencement ceremony.
 
Judd will receive an Honorary Doctor in Humane Letters from Union.  In an announcement to the college community, Union President Ed de Rosset says she was nominated for the degree “in recognition of her expansive humanitarian work and fervent commitment to education as a keystone in the struggle to end poverty, violence, disease and inequality around the globe.”
 
Union’s commencement ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 9 at 10:30 a.m.  Due to space limitations, only those with tickets will be permitted to attend.
 
Ashley Judd, an eighth generation Kentuckian, is an actress and activist whose ties to Kentucky and Appalachia have endured throughout her life and career.  She is recognized worldwide as an accomplished actress whose intelligence and range have led to a number of acting awards and successes in film, television and theater. Judd is an alumna of the University of Kentucky, where she majored in French with four minors and was a Phi Beta Kappa nominee and honors program student.  
 
Judd has devoted considerable time to her role as board member for Population Services International (PSI) and the Global Ambassador for YouthAIDS.  Her work has taken her throughout Southeast Asia, Africa, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Central America and India to visit orphanages, slums, brothels, hospices, medical clinics, youth and drop-in centers.
 
Regionally, Judd has given attention to the practice of mountaintop removal and has worked to encourage Kentucky’s political leadership to help end the controversial mining practice.  She was the featured speaker at the mountaintop removal protest in Frankfort on Feb. 17, which brought national attention to the issue.  
 
Judd will be introduced as commencement speaker by author Silas House, who has worked with her on various projects, including mountaintop removal.