Jim VandeHei, co-founder and CEO of media company Axios, will deliver the Commencement keynote addresses for UW-Oshkosh this spring, April 2, 2024. (Photo courtesy: UW-Oshkosh)
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A high-achieving UW-Oshkosh alumni will speak during the institution’s two Commencement ceremonies this spring, officials announced Tuesday.
Jim VandeHei is set to return to his alma mater May 18 to provide the keynote addresses at the school’s 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies in the Kolf Sports Center.
A 1995 graduate of UWO, VandeHei is an author and the co-founder and CEO of media company Axios. In 2011, VandeHei was recognized by UW-Oshkosh for his work as co-founder and executive director of another media well-known company, POLITICO.
Prior to co-founding his own media companies, VandeHei held national reporting roles in Washington, D.C., covering Congress for the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.
“Take away the UWO professors who took personal interest in developing me, and I would still be delivering pizzas,” VandeHei said in a news release. “Go Titans!”
Chancellor Andrew Leavitt added:
Jim is a remarkable thinker, writer, leader and entrepreneur. His UWO education was an essential element in fueling a career and life that has led to interviews with presidents and the creation of companies redefining how our world receives and consumes news. Jim’s curiosity, courage and creativity are of a type and a mix we hope to inspire in every UWO student. We are thrilled that he will share congratulations and a powerful message with thousands of UWO graduates, families and supporters on May 18 for another unforgettable Commencement day.
VandeHei frequently returns to his alma mater and hometown, often connecting with UW-Oshkosh students in the Advertising, Multimedia and Public Relations program.
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