The Utah Valley University Board of Trustees announced today that educator and religious leader Henry B. Eyring will be the keynote speaker during the university’s 2017 commencement exercises. The event will be held on May 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah.

“President Eyring has devoted his life to the search for knowledge and is well-respected both as an academician and humble spiritual leader,” said UVU President Matthew S. Holland. “We are honored to welcome him as our commencement speaker, and we look forward to the insights he will share.”

Eyring serves as First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was ordained an apostle in 1995. He also served for 18 years as Commissioner of Church Education.

The New Jersey native is also known for his academic accomplishments. He was president of Ricks College, present-day Brigham Young University-Idaho, from 1971 to 1977. He was a tenured assistant professor in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University from 1962 to 1971. He has also been a Sloan Visiting Faculty Fellow at MIT.

Eyring earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Utah, and a master’s degree and doctoral degree in business administration from Harvard Business School.

On average, more than 5,000 degrees are awarded annually at UVU commencement, with convocation exercises for the university’s eight colleges and schools held across campus the following day.

Fourth region (Section 1)