President Greg Crawford announced that alumna Major Gen. Sharon Bannister of the U.S. Air Force will be the commencement speaker for Miami University’s spring ceremony on May 14, 2022.
In a Miami press release, Crawford said that Bannister’s service is an embodiment of the Air Force’s “core values of integrity, service and excellence” and Miami’s Love and Honor.
Bannister graduated from Miami with a degree in chemistry in 1988 and received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Case Western Reserve University in 1992.
According to Think, Bannister is one of the top-ranked dentists in the Air Force.
Currently, she is the director of medical operations for the Office of the Surgeon General in the U.S. Air Force. She was promoted to major general in June.
According to the Air Force’s official website, Bannister developed a health care policy that supports 43,000 personnel and 74 medical treatment facilities. The policy has a budget of more than $6.2 billion.
Additionally, she helps oversee policy and operation in many areas, including aerospace, dental, information technology and medical support.
In an email to The Miami Student, Director of University News and Communications Jessica Rivinius wrote that Miami is thrilled to welcome Bannister back to campus this spring.
“We hope our students and their families are inspired by this trailblazing alumna who has served our country,” Rivinius wrote. “We are grateful for the leadership she has shown in the U.S. Air Force and for truly embodying the Code of Love and Honor.”
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