URSULA M. BURNS Commencement Speaker Ursula Burns began her career This is Ursula Burns' first hon­ at Xerox as a mechanical engi­ orary degree, but is one of just neering summer intern through many accolades she has earned the company's graduate engin eer­ already in her career. In 2002, ing program for minorities. The she earned a spot on Fortune program also financed part of magazine's "Most Powerful Black her graduate education. She Executives" list. She also was joined Xerox fu ll-time in 1981 one of only twenty people on and held a variety of positions Time magazine/CNN 's annual list in engin eering, in cluding product of "Global Business Influentials. " development and planning. In Most recently, she was named 1990, she became the executive in U.S. Black Engineering & 8 assistant to Paul A. Allaire, Information Technology magazine 's then Xerox chairman and chief 2004 list of the " 50 Most Ursula M. Burns was named executive officer. Important African-Americans president of Business Group in Technology." From 1992 through 2000, Burns Operations at Xerox Corporation led several business teams, A native of New York City, Burns in December 2002. She also including the office color and fax grew up in a low-income housing is a corporate senior vice presi­ business, office network copying project. Through her mother's dent, appointed April 2000. business and the departmental hard work and commitment, A Fortune 500, $15.7 bi llion business unit. In May 2000, she Burns and her siblings attended worldwide corporation, Xerox was named senior vice president Catholic schools, where she specializes in innovative document of Corporate Strategic Services excelled in math. She received solutions, services and systems. and, most recently, president a bachelor of science degree Business Group Operation s is a of the Document Systems and from Polytechnic Institute in $12 billion organization consisting Solution s Group, a $4 billion orga­ New York in 1980 and a master's of: Production, Office, Suppli es, nization responsible for generating degree in mechanical engineering Worldwide Manufacturing and up to 40 percent of Xerox's total from Co lumbia University in 1981. Supply Chain Services and Xerox's revenues. Burns also is cred ited She serves on many professional Engineering Center. This division with implementing a number of and community boards, including is responsible for the products cost-saving measures that have American Express, PQ Corporation, that bring in more than 80 percent helped restore Xerox's financial Boston Scientific Corporation , of Xerox's sales. strength. Many consider her a FIR ST, National Association likely successor to Xerox's current of Manufacturers, University chairman and CEO, Anne Mulcahy. of Rochester, the Rochester Business Alliance and the RUMP Group. Burns and her husband, Lloyd Bean, reside in Rochester, New York, with their daughter and son. .