Jersey City, N.J. – April 28, 2023 – Saint Peter’s University today announced that Michelle Miller, national correspondent for CBS News and current co-host on CBS Saturday Morning, will address the Class of 2023 at the University’s 132nd commencement exercises on May 19. Miller will receive an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, honoris causa. In addition, the University will bestow an honorary degree upon Richard J. Ensor, Esq. ’75, Commissioner of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
“Michelle Miller’s determination, work ethic and commitment to community are what we see in our Saint Peter’s students each and every day, making her the perfect fit to address the Class of 2023,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University. “I am certain she will inspire and motivate the next generation of leaders as they go forth to pursue their passions and make a positive impact on the world.”
CBS Saturday Morning Co-Host Michelle Miller. Photos: Michele Crowe/CBS ©2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights ReservedMiller is a national correspondent for CBS News and currently serves as a co-host on CBS Saturday Morning. She also serves as a substitute anchor on CBS Mornings and 48 Hours. From presidential elections to the climate crisis, her area of coverage is wide-ranging, but her reporting on social justice has been particularly groundbreaking. Before joining CBS News in 2005, Miller could be seen anchoring for Weekend Morning News in South Carolina or in Louisiana as a news reporter and weekend anchor at WWL-TC, a CBS News affiliate.
CBS Saturday Morning Co-Host Michelle Miller. Photos: Michele Crowe/CBS ©2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Miller’s reporting has earned her several prestigious journalism awards including an Emmy for her series of reports on the National Guard’s Youth Challenge Academy, a Gracie Award for 48 Hours and a Murrow Award for her coverage of a daycare center stand-off in New Orleans. She has served as a member of several boards and advisory councils including the March of Dimes National Communications advisory council. Miller is a founding member of the Women’s Leadership Initiative for the United Way of New Orleans and has served as vice president of the YWCA of Greater New Orleans and as the president of both the Black Journalists Association of Southern California and the New Orleans Association of Black Journalists. She earned a B.A. in journalism from Howard University and a M.A. in urban studies from the University of New Orleans.Richard J. Ensor, Esq. ’75, Commissioner of the MAAC
Honorary degree recipient Richard J. Ensor, Esq. ’75 was named the Commissioner of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in August 1988. During his tenure, the MAAC has secured a stable membership base, expanded the number of championships conducted and developed an extensive marketing program cemented with broadcast agreements with ESPN. Ensor has served in many administrative capacities in college sports including positions at alma mater, Saint Louis University and Seton Hall University.
The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) named Ensor as one of the “Leaders of Service” in its Bicentennial Series publication and he was also honored by NACWA as a “Good Guy” for his efforts regarding gender equity. He has been honored by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for his leadership in basketball and contributions to the game and the WBCA has honored Ensor twice for his contributions to women’s basketball with the coach’s association’s Presidents Award and as its Administrator of the Year. Ensor earned a history degree from Saint Peter’s, where he is a member of the University’s Athletics Hall of Fame, a master’s degree in sports management with honors from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a J.D. from Seton Hall University’s School of Law.
The commencement ceremony for Saint Peter’s University will be held at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, N.J. at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 19.
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For more than 150 years, Saint Peter’s University, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment. To learn more, please visit saintpeters.edu.
Media Contact:
Sarah Malinowski Ferrary
smalinowski@saintpeters.edu