PHILADELPHIA Former Middle East peace negotiator Sol Linowitz will be the speaker at this year's University of Pennsylvania commencement exercises, the U Penn president announced recently.

Students met with administrators in December to narrow down a list of candidates, and the U Penn president made the final decision. The Daily Pennsylvanian reported recently.

Linowitz, a senior partner in an international law firm in Washington, D.C. served as an ambassador under two former presidents and is a member of the U Penn board of overseers.