The Honorable C. Thomas McMillen and Mitchell Rock to Speak at College’s Spring Commencement Ceremony
The Honorable C. Thomas McMillen and Mitchell Rock will speak at the University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Spring Commencement Ceremony. The ceremony will be held on May 21, 2018, at 5 p.m. at the Xfinity Center on campus.
McMillen (B.S. ’74, chemistry)—a Rhodes Scholar, Olympian, professional basketball player, Congressman, author and businessman—first received acclaim in high school when he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as the best high school basketball player in America.
While studying chemistry at the University of Maryland, McMillen was named the first Rhodes Scholar in university history (only one has been named since). After graduating from UMD, he attended Oxford University where he received bachelor and master of arts degrees in politics, philosophy and economics in 1978.
Next, McMillen played 11 years in the NBA. He retired in 1986 when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served three terms. McMillen currently serves as CEO and president of the LEAD1 Association, a consortium of 130 of the premier college athletic programs in the United States, representing over $8 billion in revenue. His book, “Out of Bounds,” examines the conflicts between sports and ethics.
During his career, McMillen has been an active investor, principal and board member in many companies, including 10 public companies. Currently, McMillen is a director of Nexstar Media Group and serves on the advisory board of the clean coal technology firm Clean Energy Systems, the cybersecurity firm Integrity Global Security and the Association for Rare Earth. He was formerly a member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland and was the founding chairman of the National Fitness Foundation, where he currently serves as treasurer.
Rock is graduating with dual bachelor’s degrees in biological sciences (physiology and neurobiology specialization) and government and politics. Rock is an aspiring surgeon who completed a citation in the Integrated Life Sciences program in the Honors College and a government and politics departmental honors thesis analyzing mental health policies for the LGBTQ+ community.
Rock has conducted research on malignant gliomas, diabetes and circadian rhythms, and cerebral palsy at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Tel Aviv University. He also volunteered in the child life department of Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital and the emergency department of Prince George’s Hospital Center. At UMD, he served as the vice president of recruitment for the Phi Delta Epsilon International Medical Fraternity and as a teaching assistant for mammalian physiology and genetics courses.
While at UMD, Rock also explored his passion for advocacy and service-learning. He wrote opinion columns for The Diamondback student newspaper advocating for vulnerable populations on and off campus. He also served as vice president of Public Health Without Borders and as an intern and experience leader for the Alternative Breaks program. Both of these organizations run service-learning experiences on a range of health and social justice issues. Rock also completed the Global Fellows program with a health policy internship in the Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.
A native of Baltimore County, Rock will attend medical school in the fall.
Media Relations Contact: Abby Robinson, 301-405-5845, abbyr@umd.edu
University of Maryland
College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
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College Park, MD 20742
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About the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland educates more than 9,000 future scientific leaders in its undergraduate and graduate programs each year. The college’s 10 departments and more than a dozen interdisciplinary research centers foster scientific discovery with annual sponsored research funding exceeding $175 million.
