Warren Brown and Robert Pinsky to Speak at Convocations

Successful business man and author to detail their passion for their work.

by B.J. Koubaroulis

Warren Brown and Robert Pinsky to Speak at Convocations

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is proud to announce the speakers for this year’s convocation ceremonies.

Warren Brown, the founder and owner of successful bakery CakeLove and Love Café’, and poet and author Robert Pinsky are the speakers for this year’s convocation ceremonies.

The college sought convocation speakers that would inspire graduates.

“Both Warren Brown and Robert Pinsky are known in their fields for bringing marvelous energy and enthusiasm to their work. We are proud to have them as part of these important ceremonies,” said Jack Censer, dean of the college.

Brown will speak at the undergraduate ceremony on Friday, May 14, 2010, at 10 a.m. in the Patriot Center. Pinsky will address the college’s graduate students during the Thursday, May 13, 2010, convocation at 7 p.m. in the George Mason University Center for the Arts.

Brown, who left his career as a lawyer litigating health care fraud on behalf of the federal government, turned his focus toward his passion. Over the past decade he has created one of the country’s most recognizable and popular bakeries. Brown graduated from Brown University with a bachelor's degree in history. He also earned a Juris Doctor and a master's degree in Public Health from George Washington University.

A resident of Washington, D.C., Brown has been recognized for his entrepreneurial spirit and featured by a number of media outlets, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, People Magazine, Black Enterprise, Inc. Magazine, The Washington Post, and many others. In 2006 he was recognized for his entrepreneurial passion by the Small Business Administration and given the Small Business Person of the Year award for Washington, D.C.

Robert Pinsky is a poet, essayist, literary critic and translator who served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1997-2000. His poetry is known for its high energy, lyrical quality and ability to speak to common themes.

As Poet Laureate, he founded the “Favorite Poem Project” in which thousands of Americans of varying backgrounds, all ages, and from every state share their favorite poems. The project sought to document that presence, giving voice to the American audience for poetry.

He has authored 19 books and he also guest-starred on a 2002 episode of The Simpsons. He has appeared on The Colbert Report. Pinksy lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and teaches writing at Boston University.