Park University’s Kansas City Area Commencement May 11

April 30, 2019 — Reggie Robinson, J.D., vice chancellor for public affairs at the University of Kansas, will present the keynote address during Park University’s Kansas City Area Commencement on Saturday, May 11. The ceremony will be held at the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence, Mo., starting at 10 a.m.

The event will include 618 Park University students eligible to graduate and participate in the ceremony — 240 students are set to receive a master’s degree and/or graduate certificate, and 378 students are scheduled to receive a bachelor’s degree, associate degree and/or undergraduate certificate.

Robinson has served in his current role since January 2018 after spending three years as director of the KU School of Public Affairs and Administration. He also holds a faculty rank of professor of public administration. Prior to joining KU, Robinson was a professor of law and director of the Center for Law and Government at Washburn University. He has also been a faculty member in KU’s School of Law.

Robinson served as president and chief executive officer of the Kansas Board of Regents, and chief of staff to the KU chancellor. Robinson was a White House Fellow and special assistant to Attorney General Janet Reno in 1993. He subsequently served in a number of senior positions within the Department of Justice, including as deputy associate attorney general of the United States and acting director for the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime.

Robinson, a National Academy of Public Administration Fellow, presented Park University’s Dr. Jerzy Hauptmann Distinguished Guest Lecture in September 2018 on “Walls, Bridges and the Power of Empathy: Leading Effectively Within a Deeply Fragmented Society.” Robinson earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kansas, where he was editor-in-chief of the Kansas Law Review. Prior to law school, he was an active duty field artillery officer in the U.S. Army.

For those unable to attend Park’s commencement, the ceremony will be live streamed for free via the University’s video portal.