When David Prescott stands before the last graduating class of the millennium at the University of Colorado at Boulder to deliver his commencement address, he will do so to honor the students.
Prescott is a Distinguished Professor in CU-Boulder聮s molecular, cellular and developmental biology department who has won numerous awards for his teaching and research. He plans to remind the graduates to take the lessons they have learned at CU with them wherever they go and to savor the achievement their degrees represent.
"This is a substantial achievement and I am going to be there to help them celebrate," he said in an interview before the commencement.
A renowned cancer expert who lectures frequently on health issues and the prevention of cancer, Prescott said he also will talk about the challenges of keeping the brain working, and of rolling with life聮s punches.
"One聮s life is like a game of pinball. You bounce around and sometimes you end up in a pocket," he said. "But the game goes on; it just doesn聮t always go the way you plan it."
Prescott is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and part of CU聮s President聮s Teaching Scholars Program 聳 a program established in 1989 to honor and reward a select number of faculty members from the four CU campuses for exemplary teaching and scholarship.
Some 1,856 students will receive their degrees on Saturday, Dec. 18, during the 9:30 a.m. ceremonies at the Coors Events/Conference Center.
The commencement ceremony is free and open to the public.