Three local Clevelanders will earn honorary degrees for advancing Ohio’s success in business, technology and public service

Cleveland State University’s spring commencement ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 12 at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the Bert L. and Iris S. Wolstein Center, located at 2000 Prospect Ave.

The morning ceremony is for graduates of the Colleges of Business, Education and Human Services, Urban Affairs, and the School of Nursing
The afternoon ceremony is for graduates of the Colleges of Engineering, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Sciences and Health Professions.

President Ronald M. Berkman will deliver the commencement address at both ceremonies. Both will be preceded by a processional of graduates and faculty, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Three local Clevelanders will be recognized with honorary degrees for their outstanding achievements in business, teaching, innovation , technology and public service:

• Honorary Doctor of Public Service: Valarie J. McCall
• Honorary Doctor of Business Administration: Larry C. Glasscock
• Distinguished Emeritus Faculty Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree: Allan D. Waren, Ph.D.

Honoary Degree Profiles
Valarie J. McCall is esteemed for her significant contributions that make the city a better place to live, learn and thrive. As Chief of Government Affairs for the City of Cleveland, McCall serves as the Jackson Administration’s primary liaison to the state government and manages all of the City of Cleveland’s International Programs.

McCall has cultivated a lifelong passion to improve the city. She served as the youngest clerk in the history of Cleveland City Council, streamlining and reorganizing daily operations to make Council a more effective legislative body. She served as Director of the Cleveland Empowerment Zone, where she was responsible for a $200 million budget for job training and placement programs as well as direct lending programs that assisted small businesses in developing neighborhoods.

McCall earned her BA in Social Work and her Master of Public Administration from Cleveland State University. She supported CSU’s efforts to create a partnership with NEOMED that will bring primary care physicians to underserved urban communities. Her support has been crucial to CSU’s mission to serve as the anchor of a new, thriving neighborhood, helping to guide development of the Campus International School and Campus Village, two critical steps towards attracting families to the neighborhood.

---

A nationally known and respected business leader and a 1970 graduate of Cleveland State University, Larry C. Glasscock has distinguished himself through more than 40 years of leadership in the health insurance and banking industries. Under his guidance as CEO, the health insurance and health care plan provider Anthem Inc. experienced tremendous growth. Mr. Glasscock served as a champion of quality and strong customer service and greatly improved the reputation of the company. When he led a merger with competitor Wellpoint Inc., the company grew more than tenfold, to approximately 34 million members and $60 billion in assets. At the time of his retirement in 2007, the new Wellpoint Inc. was the largest health benefits provider by membership in the nation.

Prior to his leadership of Anthem and Wellpoint, Mr. Glasscock served as CEO of Essex Holdings Inc., First American Bank, and Group Hospitalization & Medical Services Inc. In addition, he worked for 20 years for Ameritrust, the Cleveland-based bank holding company, rising to the rank of Group Executive Vice President responsible for corporate banking activities. He further serves the business community as a member of the Board of Directors of Sprint-Nextel, SYSCO, Simon Properties and Zimmer Holdings.

---

As a teacher, innovator, leader and scholar, the eternally curious Allan D. Waren, Ph.D. has served Cleveland State University with distinction for more than 40 years. He has designed, developed and taught more than 20 different computer science courses. In addition, he brought leadership and stability to the Monte Ahuja College of Business when he served twice as interim dean.

Dr. Waren led the University’s emerging Computer and Information Science Department as Chairman for four years. He was granted Professor Emeritus status in 1993, and continues his passion for teaching as a part-time faculty member.

Dr. Waren’s leadership and talent for developing cutting-edge technology are equally impressive. An expert in linear and non-linear programming, optimization techniques, and engineering design, he was instrumental in developing major components of commercial software. These innovations include GRG2, a widely used non-linear programming system, and spreadsheet solvers for products used around the world such as Microsoft Excel, Quattro Pro and Lotus 123.