Date:
12/7/2010
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 575.562.2253
PORTALES--Kenwyn Cradock, assistant professor of biology, will be the keynote speaker at Eastern New Mexico University's 2010 fall commencement at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, in Greyhound Arena on the Portales campus.
Cradock says that his theme is to view graduation as a beginning, not an end.
"The attainment of a university degree is a challenge to each graduate to go into the world and contribute to the development and improvement of society. This may be at the scale of the family or may be of global impact, both are equally significant. It is the act of giving back that is important.
"Graduates should also recognize that no matter how much we plan our futures there will likely be twists and turns in the road that will require us to adapt our plans to meet the new circumstances," he says.
Before coming to ENMU, Cradock was a Ph.D. student in the Entomology Department at The Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio). His dissertation investigated the potential of an entomopathogenic fungus as a management tool for tick populations.
His official training (thesis and dissertation work) is in the management of vector-borne diseases. His main focus within this field is how to disrupt the vector from locating its host and transmitting disease.
Cradock also has an interest in forensic entomology – the use of insects in the investigation of crime.
Born and raised in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, he lived in a town about 30 minutes west of the port city of Durban on the east coast of the country. He remained in the province until the end of his master's degree at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal), when he moved to Ohio.
About teaching at ENMU, he says, "I enjoy the smaller class sizes when compared to the classes I taught in Ohio because it allows the instructor to actually interact directly with the students. I think this creates a better learning environment for most students. In addition, the recognition by ENMU of the value of classroom instruction is important to me."
Beyond research and the classroom, Cradock's hobbies include reading, bird watching, hiking, field hockey and photography.