Spring Break
Google executive to speak at '07 commencement
Teresa Hou
Issue date: 5/15/07 Section: News
Omid Kordestani, senior vice president of global sales and development of Google Inc., will be speaking at San Jose State University's 150th commencement ceremony on May 26.
Kordestani, a SJSU alumnus who graduated from the university in 1984 with a B.S. in electrical engineering, will give guidance to an approximate crowd of 5,100 undergraduate students and 2,620 graduate students, according to a press release by the university.
"The search for a commencement speaker generally starts in late summer or early fall of the year before the May ceremony," said Sylvia Light, director of communications and publication for SJSU in an e-mail. "At San Jose State, it has been the tradition to have as keynote speaker a distinguished graduate who has maintained a connection with the university."
According to Light, SJSU commencement speakers do not receive a fee or honorarium. However,the university does pay for any travel expenses the speaker may incur. A dinner hosted by the president is held in the speaker's honor on the evening before commencement.
Emma Ruiz, a graduate student studying social work, said she has never heard of Kordestani and doesn't plan on attending the main graduation anyways.
"For SJSU, he will be a great commencement speaker but for my program he won't," Ruiz said. "U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee would be my choice if I could choose."
According to Light, the responsibility of choosing the commencement speaker is usually decided by the president's office. This year the president's office also consulted the Council of the Deans.
"The Council of the Deans are made up of the deans of the seven colleges, as well as the dean of the library and the dean of international and extended studies," Light said.
Kordestani, who was born in Piranshahr, Iran moved to San Jose in 1979 and became one of Google's first employees when he joined the company in May 1999. According to a press release, Kordestani was also named one of Time magazine's "100 People Who Shape Our World."
Kordestani, a SJSU alumnus who graduated from the university in 1984 with a B.S. in electrical engineering, will give guidance to an approximate crowd of 5,100 undergraduate students and 2,620 graduate students, according to a press release by the university.
"The search for a commencement speaker generally starts in late summer or early fall of the year before the May ceremony," said Sylvia Light, director of communications and publication for SJSU in an e-mail. "At San Jose State, it has been the tradition to have as keynote speaker a distinguished graduate who has maintained a connection with the university."
According to Light, SJSU commencement speakers do not receive a fee or honorarium. However,the university does pay for any travel expenses the speaker may incur. A dinner hosted by the president is held in the speaker's honor on the evening before commencement.
Emma Ruiz, a graduate student studying social work, said she has never heard of Kordestani and doesn't plan on attending the main graduation anyways.
"For SJSU, he will be a great commencement speaker but for my program he won't," Ruiz said. "U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee would be my choice if I could choose."
According to Light, the responsibility of choosing the commencement speaker is usually decided by the president's office. This year the president's office also consulted the Council of the Deans.
"The Council of the Deans are made up of the deans of the seven colleges, as well as the dean of the library and the dean of international and extended studies," Light said.
Kordestani, who was born in Piranshahr, Iran moved to San Jose in 1979 and became one of Google's first employees when he joined the company in May 1999. According to a press release, Kordestani was also named one of Time magazine's "100 People Who Shape Our World."
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