Keystone College will conduct its 144th annual commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the Pavilion at Montage Mountain.
Guest speakers for the event will be 1962 Keystone graduates Dr. Lloyd H. Michael and his wife, Barbara Ann Smith Michael. Dr. and Ms. Michael reside in Texas and are former residents of Susquehanna County.
The event will mark the first time Keystone’s graduation ceremonies will be conducted off-campus. A variety of factors led to the decision, the most important of which is the continued increase in the number of people attending the commencement in recent years. Other factors include the desire to find a more centralized and convenient location for students and their families, and the need to lessen wear and tear on historic Bailey Field, the previous commencement site. The Pavilion at Montage Mountain met each of those criteria.
A graduate of Mountain View High School, Dr. Lloyd Michael recently retired from Baylor College of Medicine after 40 years of cardiovascular research and teaching, including 20 years as dean of the medical school’s admissions department. Currently, he holds the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Medicine, with joint appointments in the Departments of Surgery and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and past Senior Associate Dean, Office of Medical School Admissions.
Dr. Michael received his undergraduate education at what was then Keystone Junior College and Moravian College. He has a master of science degree from Kent State University and a doctorate from the University of Ottawa School of Medicine, Ontario, Canada. He completed post-doctoral studies in immunology and myocardial biology at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and Baylor College of Medicine.
His teaching career spans three years as Assistant Professor at St. Lawrence University; two years as Senior Lecturer and Chairman of the Department of Physiology, University of Dar es Salaam Faculty of Medicine, Tanzania, East Africa; and 40 years at Baylor College of Medicine. He has served as served as a reviewer for numerous scientific and medical journals and has been a member of the editorial board of the American Journal of Physiology. His articles on cardiovascular physiology have been published extensively. Dr. Michael has served as a director in the DeBakey Heart Center Core Research Laboratories and as director of the DeBakey Cardiovascular Sciences Graduate Program.
Barbara Ann Smith Michael has more than 45 years of experience in medical research, and education in the United States, Canada, and Tanzania. She is currently Assistant Professor in the School of Allied Health Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine and Senior Advisor, Continuing Medical Education Regulatory Affairs and Compliance for Baylor’s Center for Collaborative and Interactive Technologies. Before coming to Baylor, she was a faculty member at the School of Allied Health Services, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
After graduating from Montrose High School and what was then Keystone Junior College, Ms. Michael completed her bachelor of science degree in biology at St. Lawrence University and later earned a bachelor of science degree in medical technology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. While working full-time, she earned a master’s degree in health care administration from Texas Women’s University and a doctor of jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Texas and is a former member of the College of the State Bar of Texas Honorary Society.
Early in her professional career, Ms. Michael qualified for certification by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists Board of Registry, the Canadian Society of Laboratory Technologists, and the National Certification Agency for Medical Laboratory Personnel. She has extensive experience in continuing education for allied health professionals, has conducted workshops at local, regional, and national meetings and has authored many publications for allied health professionals.
She was a contributor to two textbooks that received awards from the American Medical Writers Association for the allied health sciences. Recently, she received the Texas Alliance for Continuing Medical Education Outstanding Achievement Award and was recognized by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for participation as a volunteer mediator for the Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue Program.