Filmmaker Ken Burns to be honored at Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns will serve as this year’s commencement speaker for Penn State University’s College of Communications.

Burns, who is known for high-profile public television documentaries such as “The Civil War,” “Baseball,” and “Jazz,” also will receive an honorary doctoral degree during the May 15 ceremony at the Jordan Center. Burns’ most recent work looked at the history of national parks.

Burns will address 887 graduating students, which Penn State says is the largest class in the history of its College of Communications.