WHEELING, W. Va. – Rev. Gregory J. Boyle, S.J., founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries, bestselling author and longtime advocate for the poor and needy, will deliver the keynote address and be awarded an honorary degree at Wheeling Jesuit’s 55th Commencement ceremony May 18.

Wheeling Jesuit also will recognize Wheeling businessman Michael D. Ferns, Sr. during Commencement with an honorary degree for his dedicated support of the University and Wheeling community.

Commencement is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in the Alma Grace McDonough Center on the WJU campus.

“We are honored to have Fr. Boyle address our graduating class as they prepare to go out into the world and become tomorrow’s leaders,” said WJU President Richard Beyer. “He is a man who has dedicated his life to the service of others, and truly personifies the Jesuit mission. His story is amazing, and I think we will all be inspired by his message.”

As founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries, Fr. Boyle works to reintegrate high-risk youth, former gang members and the recently incarcerated of Los Angeles, California back into society through a variety of free counseling and education programs and workplace training through its social enterprises and small businesses. These business opportunities provide hard-to-place individuals employment opportunities in a safe and supportive environment.

Fr. Boyle is the author of the New York Times Bestselling book, “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion.” He has received numerous awards and recognition including the Civic Medal of Honor, the California Peace Prize, Humanitarian of the Year from Bon Appetit Magazine, and was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2011.

“We also have the great fortune to be able to thank one of Wheeling Jesuit’s closest friends and allies at this year’s commencement,” said Rev. James J. Fleming, S.J., executive vice president, of the honorary degree recipient. “Mike Ferns has been instrumental to the growth and development of our institution, but, more importantly, we are awarding him this degree because he represents what we hope our graduates will become.”

Ferns is the owner of A&B Auto Sales, a family-operated, full-service dealership serving the Ohio Valley since 1992. Starting on National Road with eight cars on the lot, A&B Auto Sales now operates a 130,000-square-foot facility in Benwood, West Virginia.

For the past 10 years, Ferns has worked with Wheeling Jesuit and the Cardinal Athletic Club to increase the university’s partnerships with the surrounding community and the city of Wheeling. Over the past year, Ferns and the Cardinal Athletic Club have helped coordinate the University’s efforts to provide WJU students and the local Wheeling community with state-of-the-art athletic facilities that can be used year-round.

Ferns’ generous philanthropic support of Wheeling and the Ohio Valley includes support of organizations such as Easter Seals and Catholic Charities. He and his wife of more than 40 years, Linda, are lifelong residents of the Wheeling area. They have three children; Michael, Christy (Mullins), and Ryan ’05 and DPT ’07; and three grandchildren.

A global leader in academic excellence, undergraduate research and service learning, Wheeling Jesuit University is ranked in the top 10 percent of the nation's colleges by Forbes Magazine. One of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, Wheeling Jesuit has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top university for the past 15 years.