Richard Pimentel, a successful trainer and motivational speaker on diversity issues, an architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and former Portland State student, has accepted the University's invitation to deliver the spring 2008 commencement address and will receive an honorary degree, Saturday, June 14, 2008.

"Richard Pimentel has faced and overcome extraordinary challenges, and we are honored he will share his experiences at Portland State's commencement" said Michael Reardon, interim president at Portland State. "As a lecturer on motivation, attitudes toward disability, diversity and career development, Pimentel emphasizes the special challenges faced by the differently abled and will be an inspiration to Portland State's 2008 graduating class, their families and friends."

Portland State's spring commencement ceremonies will take place on Saturday, June 14, 2008, at 10 a.m. in Portland's Rose Garden Arena. For additional information, members of the media should contact the Office of University Communications at 503-725-3711. Students and families needing additional information should visit www.pdx.edu/commencement.

Richard Pimentel
Richard Pimentel has overcome challenges and adversity his entire life. His mentally ill mother put him in an orphanage and shuffled him among family members. He was ultimately left homeless. Still, he managed to succeed in high school speech championships and was offered a college scholarship, but quit college shortly before being drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. An explosion in Vietnam caused Pimentel to experience hearing loss and tinnitus. After Vietnam, he returned to college at Portland State University. While in Portland, he and his friends experienced injustices due to their disabilities that propelled him toward the disability movement.

Pimentel began his career in diversity-based disability attitude training while a student at PSU in 1977. In 1981, he was the primary author of Tilting at Windmills, an interactive disability attitude training program designed for managers and supervisors that was used to train the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) staff, among others. His training programs and books have helped employers dispel stereotypes and embrace diversity. When the ADA was signed into law in 1990, the EEOC chair acknowledged Pimentel as a significant contributor to educating employers on disability employment issues.

Pimentel is now developing a new employer training program to support the transition of wounded and disabled veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan into the workforce. The program is focused on post traumatic stress syndrome, traumatic brain injuries and amputations. As a consultant, keynote speaker, professional trainer and the author of numerous curricula and training guides, Pimentel continues to fight for the rights of the developmentally disabled.

A full-length motion picture on Richard Pimentel's life story, Music Within, was released in fall 2007 and is coming out on DVD April 8. The independent film was partially shot on Portland State's campus and starred Ron Livingston as Pimentel, Michael Sheen as Art Honneyman, and Hector Elizondo as the late Ben Padrow, PSU speech professor. For more information visit www.musicwithinmovie.com.

For a photo or more information about Richard Pimentel, visit www.miltwright.com/_richard_pimentel/index.htm.

Portland State University serves as a center of opportunity for 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students in Portland, Oregon, one of the nation's most livable cities. The University's innovative approach to education combines academic rigor in the classroom with field-based experiences through internships and classroom projects with community partners. The University's 47-acre downtown campus exhibits Portland State's commitment to sustainability with green buildings, while many of the 120 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees incorporate sustainability into the curriculum. PSU's motto, "Let Knowledge Serve the City," inspires the teaching and research of an accomplished faculty, whose work and students span the globe.

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