DANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University will confer degrees upon 981 undergraduates, 174 graduate students and three doctoral candidates at the university’s 111th commencement ceremonies next weekend.

Michael P. Meotti, commissioner of Higher Education in Connecticut, will speak to students receiving graduate and doctoral degrees at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 22, in the Feldman Arena of the William O’Neill Athletic and Convocation Center on the university’s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Ext. in Danbury. Newsweek columnist, author and television analyst Jonathan Alter will focus on leadership themes during his talk at the undergraduate ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 24, in the Westside Athletic Complex, also on the university’s Westside campus.

Meotti, who was named commissioner in March 2008, oversees the department of Higher Education, which develops public polices to guide Connecticut’s higher education system of community colleges and universities. When he was appointed, Meotti said he looked forward to helping Connecticut build upon its educational foundation.

“Higher education provides a strong foundation for both personal success and the economic competitiveness of our state,” Meotti said. “Like many families throughout Connecticut, members of my family have been fortunate to pursue college degrees that my grandparents would never have imagined to be possible. The availability of quality public colleges and universities and student financial aid made that possible.”

Meotti has an extensive background in public policy, having served as president of United Way of Connecticut and president of the Connecticut Policy and Economic Council. He served eight years in the state senate during which he was assistant majority leader and vice-chair of the Education Committee.

The commissioner counts among his accomplishments a report that points to potential weaknesses in Connecticut’s support of education. For instance, while the state is ranked among the top five in income and education level, many students are not ready for college-level math or English courses and need to take remedial classes.

Meotti credits the program that WestConn has forged with Danbury and Bethel high schools, called “Building a Bridge to Improve Student Success,” as a model to address the weakness of some college students. It pairs high school teachers and college professors to ensure students are ready for college-level work.

Alter writes a column for Newsweek that examines politics, media and social and global issues. He also is a contributing correspondent on NBC News and his 2006 book, “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope,” was a national bestseller.

Alter will speak about leadership themes he learned while researching Franklin Roosevelt, such as the importance of optimism and hope, and discuss how they might relate to Barack Obama’s presidency.

The 2008 campaign was the seventh presidential election Alter has covered for Newsweek. He frequently interviews American presidents and other world leaders, regularly breaks news and has authored more than 50 Newsweek cover stories on everything from shrinking confidence in the American news media, to Bill Clinton’s first interview after leaving the presidency. He’s also written about Barack Obama’s first magazine cover before he arrived in the U.S. Senate and his own personal story of living with cancer. Beyond politics and media, he has written extensively over the years about terrorism, anti-Semitism, at-risk children, national service and a wide variety of other issues.

As Alter wrote in “The Defining Moment,” Roosevelt “revived the spirits of a stricken nation. … FDR’s stunning debut in office was the flowering not just of versatile thinking but of brilliant instincts for leadership. Who influenced him? How did he grow himself into a surpassingly inspirational figure? What grand mixture of timing, cunning and character gave him and his generation what he later called a ‘rendezvous with destiny’ ”?

Alter joined Newsweek as an associate editor in the Nation section in March 1983, and became media critic the following year. He was named a senior writer in February 1987 and a senior editor in September 1991. For two years prior to joining Newsweek, Alter was an editor at The Washington Monthly. He has also freelanced articles for such publications as The New Republic, Esquire, Slate and The New York Times. Besides “The Defining Moment,” Alter is coauthor of “Selecting a President” and the coeditor of “Inside the System.”

For more information, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.