U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

 U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., will be the commencement speaker at the May 11, 2019 Commencement of Lawrence Technological University. She will also receive an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, at the 1 p.m. ceremony.

“We are delighted that Senator Stabenow will be our speaker and appreciate her long career representing Michigan’s citizens and interests,” said LTU President Virinder Moudgil.

Some 525 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students comprise LTU’s Class of 2019. For the first time in more than 80 years, ceremonies will be held on campus in Lawrence Tech’s Don Ridler Field House. To accommodate the expected crowds of nearly 5,000 graduates and guests, the ceremonies have been split into three, at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. and will be streamed. Stabenow will speak at the 1 p.m. ceremony. Tickets are required.

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow made history in 2000 when she became the first woman from Michigan elected to the United States Senate. She was re-elected in 2006, 2012, and 2018.

As co-chair of the Senate Manufacturing Caucus, Senator Stabenow is leading efforts to invest in innovation and help Michigan businesses—large and small—create new, high-tech jobs. One of her top priorities is making sure every young person has the skills they need to get a good-paying job, whether they choose a technical career, a skilled trade, or a college degree.

Senator Stabenow is a national leader of the effort to make sure people have quality, affordable health care, including mental health and addiction services and lower prescription drug costs.

Senator Stabenow is also the co-chair of the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan Great Lakes Task Force and author of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. She authored the 2014 Farm Bill, which made unprecedented investments in land, water, and wildlife conservation, and co-authored the 2018 Farm Bill, which builds on those investments. She is ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a senior member of the Energy Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Finance Committee.

Senator Stabenow is a lifelong resident of Michigan who grew up in Clare. She lives in Lansing, where she raised her family.