St. Edward's University will confer 495 degrees during the university's 119th commencement ceremony at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 14 at the Frank Erwin Center. Monika K. Hellwig, president and executive director of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) and recent recipient of the National Catholic Educational Association Presidential Award for outstanding service to Catholic education, will deliver the keynote address and will be recognized with an honorary degree.

A noted theologian, educator, scholar and social activist, Hellwig has published more than 22 books, including Understanding Catholicism, Jesus the Compassion of God, The Eucharist and the Hunger of the World, A Case for Peace in Reason and Faith and Guest of God: Stewards of Creation. She has lectured both domestically and abroad on topics of theology and interfaith studies. Later this summer, Hellwig will retire from her ACCU post to become a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center, an independent nonprofit institute at Georgetown University.

"As someone who has dedicated her life to furthering understanding among people of all faiths, Dr. Hellwig provides an exceptional example for our students as they go forward with their lives and careers," said George E. Martin, university president. "She truly embodies the mission and values of St. Edward's University."

Elizabeth A. Gerow will deliver the valedictory address. A native of San Diego, Calif., Gerow will graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and a minor in Political Science. President of the St. Edward's University Accounting Club, she plans to become a Certified Public Accountant. Gerow was chosen as one of five students nationally to present her senior thesis, "Using Lessons from Corporate Fraud to Restore Ethics to the Workplace," to the Annual Meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics.

Degree distribution is as follows:

Founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edward's University has been named as one of America's Best Colleges for 2005 by U.S. News & World Report and was selected by The Princeton Review for inclusion in the guide Colleges with a Conscience.
St. Edward's is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university of approximately 4,650 student located in Austin, Texas.