U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy will deliver the 41st Commencement address at Vermont Law School on Saturday, May 21, President and Dean Marc Mihaly announced today.
"I am pleased to announce that EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy will be Vermont Law School's 2016 commencement speaker," Mihaly said. "Administrator McCarthy is a champion for the environment and for the public health, recognized for her commitment and practical, common-sense approach to critical issues ranging from clean water and energy to the urgent need to act on climate change. She is a dedicated leader, an inspiration to students across the country and to many among the students, faculty and staff at Vermont Law School. We look forward to welcoming Administrator McCarthy to our campus."
McCarthy was appointed EPA administrator in 2013 and assistant administrator for the EPA Office of Air and Radiation in 2009. She previously served as commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. She has over 30 years of environmental experience at the federal, state and local levels, shepherding policies related to economic growth, energy, and transportation.
McCarthy earned a bachelor's degree in social anthropology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and a joint master's degree in environmental health engineering and planning and policy from Tufts University.
The 41st Commencement Ceremonies at Vermont Law School will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 21, on the South Royalton Village Green. Candidates will be presented for juris doctor (JD), master of laws (LLM), and master's degrees. For more information about commencement, visit vermontlaw.edu/commencement.
Vermont Law School is home to the nation's premier environmental law program, offering more than 64 courses related to the environment and environmental law, more than any other law school in the United States, and four environmental law clinics: the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, Energy Clinic, Food and Agriculture Clinic, and Land Use Clinic. The school's environmental Summer Session, which offers 36 classes taught by 44 faculty members, is recognized internationally. For more information about environmental programs at VLS, including degrees and clinical training, visit the Environmental Law Center online at vermontlaw.edu/ELC.
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Vermont Law School, a private, independent institution, is home to the nation's largest and deepest environmental law program. VLS offers a Juris Doctor curriculum that emphasizes public service; three Master's Degrees—Master of Environmental Law and Policy, Master of Energy Regulation and Law, and Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy; and four post-JD degrees —LLM in American Legal Studies (for foreign-trained lawyers), LLM in Energy Law, LLM in Environmental Law, and LLM in Food and Agriculture Law. The school features innovative experiential programs and is home to the Environmental Law Center, South Royalton Legal Clinic, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, Energy Clinic, Food and Agriculture Clinic, and Center for Applied Human Rights. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.