Giffords to speak at Bard graduation ceremonies

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was severely wounded in an assassination attempt in 2011, will give the commencement address at Bard College’s 153rd ceremony on Sat., May 25.

Giffords, who will be joined by her husband, retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, will also receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters.

The commencement, which starts at 2:30pm on the Seth Goldfine Memorial Rugby Field, will also include honorary degrees awarded to microbiologist Jo Handelsman, orchestrator Jonathan Tunick ’58, New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott, and chef Alice Waters.

Bard President Leon Botstein will confer 470 undergraduate degrees on the Class of 2013 and 175 graduate degrees.

Giffords has become known across the country for her resilience in the face of violence, and for her consensus-building leadership in Congress. She was shot in the head at point-blank range at a Congress on Your Corner event in Tucson on Jan. 8, 2011. Stepping down from Congress in January 2012, Giffords said, “I will return, and we will work together for Arizona and this great country.”

She and her husband founded Americans for Responsible Solutions as a way to encourage elected officials to stand up for both the 2nd Amendment and safer communities by communicating directly with their constituents.