Unlike most university commencement speakers, J. Craig Venter said he would not be giving the Class of 2011 any advice on how to be successful.

‘Most of you have no clue what unique challenges and highly motivating, life-altering experiences that lie in your path,’ said Venter, a human genome researcher and the keynote speaker at Syracuse University’s commencement ceremony in the Carrier Dome on Sunday morning.

More than 5,000 students from SU and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry participated in commencement, SU’s 157^th and ESF’s 114^th. It was also the first time SU’s College of Law joined the ceremony. The college’s official commencement was held Friday, but representatives of the law school attended the ceremony. A total of 14,711 people attended the event.

Before beginning his address, Venter spoke about the student reaction to the announcement that he would serve as speaker. He said he was surprised to hear he was not considered ‘controversial’ enough, given he has received both praise and criticism for his work with genetics. The university gained attention last year when students protested the choice of Jamie Dimon, chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Drawing from his own experiences, Venter spoke about the unpredictability of life. He did not attend college until five years after high school, from which he nearly did not graduate. His own life changed suddenly when he was called to serve in the Vietnam War as a Navy corpsman.

It was not until after he served in the war — seeing the loss of life and deciding he wanted to do more — that Venter began his formal education at the University of California at San Diego. He first earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and then a doctorate in physiology and pharmacology.

Today, Venter is founder, chairman and president of the J. Craig Venter Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to microbial, human, plant and environmental genomic research. He has been named one of the most influential people by Time magazine, and in 2007, he was the first person to have his complete genome, all 6 billion letters, decoded.

‘Venter makes transformative scientific breakthroughs a way of life,’ said Chancellor Nancy Cantor as she introduced him as speaker.

As part of the ceremony, Venter received an honorary doctor of science degree from SU. Other honorary degree recipients were John Chapple, Nicholas Donofrio, Jessie Gruman, Ei-ichi Negishi and Gerardine Wurzburg.

Throughout his speech Venter discussed current and possible upcoming advances in science and technology. The world has changed since his birth in 1946, Venter said.

‘Today, we have three of us for everybody that existed when I was born,’ he said. He said population growth will pass the 7 billion mark on Oct. 26.

This growing population rate will change how food is grown to how power is produced, Venter said, later asking if the Class of 2011 would be up for the challenge. A small cheer went up in the crowd.

Venter also discussed his research with the human genome and the synthetic genome, which has a computer as a parent. Having his own genome decoded has allowed him to know what diseases he is at risk for, such as Alzheimer’s disease. An increase in preventative medicine and ongoing change to the health care system is something to be on the lookout for, Venter said.

Students are only limited by their imaginations, he said. Venter is currently working with algae cell able to create more than 10,000 gallons per acre per year of a new biocrude from carbon dioxide.

As he ended his address, Venter offered up a wish for the Class of 2011 — that each graduate would take the chances and challenges he or she may be presented with. The only way for a person to obtain immortality, he said, is to do something meaningful in the short time he or she has.

‘I can only ask and hope that some of you will not get swallowed up into your everyday existence,’ Venter said, ‘but rather these incredible challenges for our future will incite you to want to change that future.’

dkmcbrid@syr.edu

Published on May 14, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Dara: dkmcbrid@syr.edu | @daramcbride