Sen. Richard Lugar, Indiana's senior senator and the U.S. Senate's ranking Republican, will serve as the Commencement speaker at Ball State University on May 9, according to a press release.
Elected to his sixth term in 2006, Lugar is the longest serving U.S. Senator in Indiana history, according to his Web site.
He serves as the Republican leader of the Foreign Relations Committee and is a member of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.
During his time in the Senate, Lugar has played a key role in dismounting nuclear, biological and chemical weapons around the world, according to a press release.
As mayor of Indianapolis from 1968-75, Lugar implemented Unigov, a program that combined the city and county governments and led to economic growth, according to the release.
"Sen. Lugar's career achievements will form the basis of a powerful and inspiring message for our entire university community and will make the 2009 Spring Commencement one of our most memorable," Ball State President Jo Ann Gora said in the same release.
According to the release, Lugar's entrepreneurial and sustainability initiatives make him a good fit for Ball State's campus.
While serving his tenure of public service, Lugar established himself as an innovative leader in the field of alternative fuel and energy sources and sustainability efforts.
In 2007, he visited Ball State to award the campus's Council on the Environment with a Lugar Energy Patriot award for its work promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, according to Lugar's Web site.
According to his Web site, Lugar's Energy Patriot Act is part of his ongoing effort to recognize action taken to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy sources.
Ball State's COTE is the most established green committee in Indiana's community of higher education, according to the press release. In addition, Ball State's two newest buildings, Park Hall and the David Letterman Communication and Media Building, were designed to conserve energy and have been LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.
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