Dr. Robert J. Buchanan, BNI ’82 and a renown neurosurgeon based in Austin, Texas, will serve as this year’s commencement speaker when diplomas are conferred May 31 on the Bishop Noll Institute Class of 2018.
An all-state tennis player while at Bishop Noll, Dr. Buchanan is the chief of neurosurgery and chief of functional neuroscience at the Seton Brain and Spine Institute in Austin. He also is an associate professor at the University of Texas’ Dell Medical School. He is a graduate of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
A devout Catholic who serves on the board of directors for the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Dr. Buchanan was appointed by Pope Benedict to serve on the international Pontifical Academy for Life. The Academy is made up of about 120 scientists and theologians from around the world who advise the pope on bioethical issues that impact human life and Catholic morality.
He now serves on the Academy under Pope Francis.
“We are honored and thrilled that Dr. Buchanan has agreed to come home to Bishop Noll and address our graduates and their families,” Bishop Noll President Paul Mullaney said. “He has made a true impact in his profession, in his Church and in the world, and we are excited to hear what he has to tell our students.”
Last year, BNI’s commencement speaker was U.S. Federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel, a 1971 Noll alumnus who has been in the news due to the high-profile court cases involving Trump University and U.S. immigration policy that have been assigned to his California courtroom.
“It continually amazes me to see the accomplishments of our Bishop Noll alumni,” Mullaney said. “They do great things, whether they’ve been out of Noll for five years or 50 years. We’ve graduated more than 21,000 students in our 97 years, and Dr. Buchanan is certainly one of those 21,000 success stories.”