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MEADVILLE, Pa. – April 26, 2010 – Allegheny College will award honorary degrees to four distinguished individuals – national leaders in journalism, education, venture philanthropy and the arts – at the college’s 2010 Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 16 at 9:30 a.m.

John M. Hillkirk II, editor of USA Today, will receive an honorary degree and deliver the Commencement address. A 1978 Allegheny graduate, Hillkirk has served as a writer and editor at the newspaper since its founding in 1982. USA Today is the nation’s most widely circulated print newspaper, with a total average daily circulation of nearly 1.9 million.

Before being appointed editor in 2009, Hillkirk was executive editor for five years and managing editor of the Money section for nine years. He has won a series of prestigious honors in the newspaper industry and served as a judge for several national award competitions, including the Pulitzer Prize for public service. In addition, Hillkirk has co-authored three books on business and management.

The following individuals also will receive honorary degrees at the Commencement ceremony:

Molly Corbett Broad has served since 2008 as president of the American Council on Education, the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions. The first woman to lead the organization since its founding in 1918, she writes and speaks on strategic planning for higher education, K-16 partnerships, information technology, globalization and biotechnology.

Broad previously was president of the University of North Carolina, leading the institution through a period of unprecedented enrollment growth. Minority enrollment at UNC grew at more than double the rate of the overall student body during her tenure. Broad also has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Public Broadcasting System. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Syracuse and Ohio State University, respectively.

Samuel P. Moss is president of Gray Matters Capital, a private operating foundation that researches and co-creates initiatives with local partners to build sustainable, replicable business models for the benefit of underserved populations in emerging markets. Moss focuses on developing a network of skilled, seasoned professionals who serve part time as investment underwriters on various initiatives in the Gray Matters portfolio. He also works to identify opportunities to advance the viability of microfinance as an investment option.

A graduate of Williams College, Moss previously spent 25 years in investment and commercial banking at Wachovia, focusing on relationship and business development in domestic and international markets. In addition, he serves on the boards of several Atlanta arts organizations and is board chair of the International Association of Microfinance Investors.

Edward Villella is founding artistic director and CEO of the Miami City Ballet, which is among the largest ballet companies in the United States. A principal dancer with George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet from 1957 to 1975, he is one of America’s most celebrated male dancers.

In 1997 Villella received the National Medal of Arts, the highest and most prestigious cultural honor that can be bestowed upon an artist by the United States. That year he also was named a Kennedy Center honoree and was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. In 2004 Villella was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marine transportation from the New York Maritime Academy.

The Commencement ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Bentley Hall lawn or in the Wise Center Sports Forum, depending on weather conditions. Tickets are required for admission only if the ceremony is held in the Wise Center.

Media coverage of the ceremony is invited. For more information, contact Josh Tysiachney, director of public affairs, at (814) 332-6755.