A Kansas University administrator with family ties to the Kansas City area will give the commencement address Wednesday night at Kansas City Kansas Community Junior College.

Janet Murguia, KU’s executive vice chancellor for university relations, will speak at the graduation ceremony, which begins at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the junior college’s field house at North 73rd Street and Parallel Parkway.

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Murguia, a native of the Argentine neighborhood in Kansas City, Kan., will speak to about 650 graduates who are expected to receive their associate of arts and associate of science degrees.

Murgia oversees KU’s public relations, including government and public affairs.

She earned bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and journalism from KU in 1982 and a law degree from KU in 1985.

Before taking her current post at KU in 2001, she worked for the Al Gore/Joe Lieberman presidential campaign in 2000. She has also worked for the White House in various capacities, beginning in 1994, including being senior White House liaison to Congress.

She is an active board member of the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic advocacy organization in the U.S.