Bill Nye the Science Guy Will Be UMass Lowell’s Commencement Speaker

Photo via UMass Lowell

As graduation day for college seniors nears, announcements about who will be the featured commencement speakers at each school ceremony are beginning to roll in. But we think UMass Lowell just set the bar in terms of special guests.

Come May 17, Bill Nye the Science Guy, made famous by his popular kids shows that ran in the mid-to-late 90s, will impose his wisdom upon those preparing to leave the college life and enter the real world.

Besides his easily recognizable theme song and his ability to inspire younger viewers to take up career paths in the science sector, the bow-tie clad brainiac is the executive director of The Planetary Society, the world’s largest space-interest group. He’s also a pretty quirky character on Twitter, with a loyal fan base of  more than 1 million followers who undoubtedly remember his former series from their childhood.

Nye will be joined by Howard Koh, assistant secretary for health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, when appearing before the graduating class in May. “We are honored to have two individuals who have dedicated their lives to educating the public about science and health speak to UMass Lowell’s Class of 2014,” said Chancellor Marty Meehan, who will preside over the ceremonies. “Bill Nye and Howard Koh both have tremendous experience and enthusiasm for their work and can offer graduates valuable insight not only into their fields of expertise, but also their unique approaches to teaching.”

The announcement comes at a time when other schools are starting to unveil who will be appearing on stage as students get set to say farewell to college. At UMass Amherst, Governor Deval Patrick is slated to deliver remarks at the main address during the undergraduate commencement ceremony. And at Harvard University former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will talk about his experiences as an elected official and leader in the business sector.  On Wednesday, Northeastern University announced that Janet Napolitano, former Secretary of Homeland Security and current president of the University of California, will deliver the school’s 112th commencement address on May 2.

We still think UMass Lowell got the best pick, because, as Nye always says, “science rules.”