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CORVALLIS, Ore. - A record 4,496 men and women will be recognized as graduates from Oregon State University in OSU's 141^st commencement ceremony this Saturday, June 12, beginning at 10:30 a.m. in Reser Stadium.

All told, this Saturday's graduates include 2,274 men and 2,222 women; between them, they are earning 4,695 degrees - also a record. While 3,531 graduates-to-be are from Oregon, 751 are from other states, and 204, foreign nations. The youngest graduate in this class is 19, while the oldest is 76.

In total, those students raise OSU's historic total of graduates to 205,973.    

NASA astronaut Don Pettit (OSU '78), veteran of multiple space missions, one including a six-month stay aboard the International Space Station, will deliver the commencement address. The 55-year-old chemical engineering graduate of OSU has served as an astronaut for the past 14 years and is recognized not only for his longevity and success in the space program, but his innovation in space, which has included such in-space inventions as the "zero-g" coffee cup. Pettit will also be awarded an honorary doctorate degree.

Frits Bolkestein (OSU '53), a prominent former Dutch politician who served as a Minister of Defense, Minister of International Trade, a Parliament member for 17 years and a European Commission member before leaving government service in 2004, will also be awarded an honorary doctorate. The OSU mathematics graduate is an author of 13 books and is president of the Telders Foundation, a think-tank connected with the Netherlands' liberal party, which Bolkestein previously served as party leader.

The university will also award an honorary bachelor's degree to Ralph Einar Martinson, a former OSU student who stopped his studies in 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, to join the workforce as a grocer in Portland, with only a half-year left to graduate. Martinson turned 100 last month, and the university will recognize the Longview, Wash., resident's lifetime of support of OSU with an honorary diploma.

More information on OSU's commencement, including driving routes to campus, parking and shuttle service information and more, is available at: http://oregonstate.edu/events/commencement/.

Umbrellas are not permitted in Reser Stadium, but sun visors or rain ponchos are suggested. Sunscreen is also recommended. No tickets are required for the ceremony, and graduates may bring as many friends and family members as they wish.

Shuttle Service: The OSU shuttle bus will run throughout the campus and to and from Reser Stadium from 8 a.m. to 4 pm. Shuttle pick-up points adjacent to accessible parking places are marked by signs.

• OSU shuttle bus info

Routes to Campus: If you're traveling on Interstate 5, take Exit 228, Oregon Highway 34. Look for the signs reading, "Corvallis/Oregon State University." Go west on Highway 34 for about 10 miles to Corvallis. Follow the Highway 34 signs for the bypass to Reser Stadium. You'll turn left at the traffic light just before you enter Corvallis.

• Map of routes to campus

Parking on Campus: Parking lots throughout the campus are open for visitor parking, unless officially designated as no parking at all times. Disabled parking spots are reserved for cars with DMV permits.

In addition to the parking lot at Reser Stadium, there is a parking structure on 26th Street and Washington Avenue, as well as a parking lot along Washington Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets.

Parking for recreational vehicles is available in the parking lot at 13th Street and Washington Avenue. Additional RV parking is available south of Western Boulevard, behind the Hilton Garden Inn and softball complex.

• Map of campus parking