Top Arizona Legislator, Art Hamilton, Announced as SCNM’s Spring 2011 Commencement Speaker

Art Hamilton, acknowledged by the Arizona Republic in 2008 as one of the ten best modern legislators in Arizona history, will be the Commencement Speaker for the 28th Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) graduating class commencement, held on July 9, 2011, at the Chandler Center for the Arts.

A groundbreaker and leader, Hamilton served 26 years in the Arizona House of Representatives, with 18 consecutive years as the Democratic leader in the Arizona House. Hamilton was the first African-American and only Arizonan to be elected president of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), an organization representing 30,000 legislative state members in their dealings with the federal government.

The Invocation Speaker will be Gladys Taylor McGarey, M.D., M.D. (H), internationally recognized as the “Mother of Holistic Medicine,” pioneer for holistic patient care, advocate for the integration of allopathic and holistic medical practices, and family doctor for nearly 50 years.

 Additionally, SCNM president and CEO, Paul Mittman, N.D., Ed.D., will present an honorary degree to solar energy expert Charles E. Backus, Ph.D., one of the founders of the photovoltaic field and author of more than 100 articles and books on solar energy. Dr. Backus is an Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU), and former Provost and CEO of ASU’s Polytechnic campus.

 More than 50 students will graduate in the spring 2011 commencement ceremony and earn doctor of naturopathic medicine degrees.  Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) trains future physicians to focus on prevention, wellness and lifestyle changes, which addresses the root cause of the majority of the problems plaguing Americans. Located in Tempe, Ariz., and founded in 1993, SCNM is an accredited higher-learning institution offering a four-year medical program.

Adjacent to the college, the Southwest College Naturopathic Medical Center is the largest naturopathic medical center in the Southwest and offers family and primary care using integrative modalities such as acupuncture, homeopathy, clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, manipulation, and pharmacology.