Linda Wertheimer, host of National Public Radio's All Things Considered, and Judy Woodruff, a veteran of more than 20 years of broadcast journalism are among the commencement speakers scheduled to appear next month as the 14 State System of Higher Education universities hold their Spring graduations. Other speakers will include successful alumni, authors, scholars, community activists and popular professors.

Graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2000 will be held throughout the month of May on the different campuses. This will be the 17^th Spring class to graduate since the creation of the State System in July 1983.

Woodruff is prime anchor and senior correspondent for Cable Network News. She also co-anchors with Bernard Shaw "Inside Politics," the nation's only daily program devoted exclusively to politics, and "World View," an hour-long international newscast that examines major stories and issues from around the world. She will speak May 13 at Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

The commencement program will begin at 10 a.m. in Biemsderfer Stadium.

Other commencement speakers who have been scheduled to appear on State System campuses this Spring are:

· Faith Kline, the 1999 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Teacher. Kline will speak at her alma mater, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, on May 13. Ceremonies will begin at 2:15 p.m. at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds.

· Yvonne Scruggs-Leftwich, executive director and chief executive officer of Black Leadership Forum, Inc., based in Washington, D.C. Scruggs-Leftwich, an author, scholar, policy analyst and community activist, will speak May 13 at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. The program will begin at 11 a.m. on the quadrangle.

· Ginny Judson Thornburgh, director of the Religion and Disability Program of the National Association on Disability, Washington, D.C., will speak May 13 at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Two ceremonies will be held, both in Tippin Gymnasium. Graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Nursing will receive their degrees beginning at 10 a.m. and those in the College of Education and Human Services and College of Business, at 2 p.m. The university will present Thornburgh with an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree.

· Hugh Sidey, a contributor to Time magazine and expert on the American presidency, will speak May 13 at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Sidey has written about the presidency for more than 40 years, longer than any other Washington journalist. The university will present Sidey an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.

· Dr. James F. Drane, philosophy professor emeritus and Russell Roth Professor of Bioethics. Dr. Drane will speak May 6 at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. The program will be held at 1 p.m. in McComb Fieldhouse.

· Robert E. Cook, former chairman, chief executive officer and president of Systems Center Inc., a leading developer and marketer of systems software that supports IBM's machine operating system. Cook, who donated $3.6 million to Indiana University of Pennsylvania to establish the Robert E. Cook Honors College, will speak May 13 at IUP. The honors college is graduating its first class this Spring. Ceremonies will begin at 11 a.m. in Miller Stadium.

· Linda J. Gibbs, a professor in the department of elementary education at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Gibbs was selected by the senior class at Kutztown to present the graduation address. The graduation program will begin at 10 a.m. in Keystone Fieldhouse.

· William Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International USA, will speak May 13 at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. The university also will present honorary degrees to Dr. Carol Whitcraft Fredericks and Dr. Peter Freese.

Lock Haven's graduation ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Hubert Jack Stadium.

· Richard H. Pizzarro, co-founder of In-Soft Inc. and principal software development engineer of Netscape Communications Corp. Pizzarro, a 1988 graduate of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, will address graduates of his alma mater May 6. Ceremonies will begin at 11 a.m. in Seth Grove Stadium.

· State Department of Environmental Protection Secretary James M. Seif will speak May 13 at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. The program is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. in N. Kerr Thompson Stadium. In case of inclement weather, it will be moved indoors to Morrow Field House.

· David Holveck, former chief executive officer of Centocor, which was purchased recently by Johnson & Johnson, will speak at his alma mater May 7. Holveck is a 1968 graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Graduation ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. in Farrell Stadium on the University's South Campus.

California University of Pennsylvania will hold its commencement ceremonies beginning at 10 a.m., May 13 in Hamer Hall. No commencement speaker is scheduled.

The State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 350,000 System alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The System also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and the University Center for Southwest Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. The regional centers are part of the Educational Resources Group, which is responsible for coordinating statewide programming.