Nobel-Winning Physicist to Speak at Commencement

Physicist and environmentalist Steven Chu will be Boston University's 134th commencement speaker for the May 20 ceremony, announced President Robert Brown Friday morning at the annual Senior Breakfast in the George Sherman Union's Metcalf Hall.

Chu shared a Noble Prize for physics in 1997 for his methods of trapping and cooling atoms at low speeds using lasers, which led to scientific developments such as increasing the accuracy in clocks used for space navigation. In 1997, the Nobel committee praised Chu for helping to increase scientists' knowledge of how radiation and matter interact.

A professor of physics and molecular and cellular biology at the University of California at Berkeley, Chu is also the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a project of the U.S. Department of Energy. The lab has worked extensively on The Helios Project, the plans of which are to use solar energy that could "sustain our world in an environmentally friendly manner," according to the project's website.

In his remarks to the soon-to-be graduates Friday morning, Brown also briefly hinted at the revised Guest Policy, which has been under review for several months. Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore confirmed after the breakfast that Brown has approved the new policy, which will take effect in the fall.

Other speakers for graduation day events include Bill Kovach, a former <> reporter and editor, Judy Norsigian, a recipient of the Massachusetts Public Health Association's Public Service Award and Brice Marden, an artist whose work has been displayed at the New York Bykert Gallery.

After breakfast had been served and Brown announced the speakers, a slideshow of pictures from the Class of 2007's orientation was shown.

"College days swiftly pass," Elmore said after the slideshow. "Study hard, get those projects done and for God's sake, stay out of trouble next week."