Dear President Berkey,
  I am writing to express my extreme disappointment in the school’s choice of Rex Tillerson as 2011 commencement speaker. While I’m certain that corporations like ExxonMobil have contributed several orders of magnitude more financially to WPI than I have as an alumnus, I hope that you will consider my opinions before committing to your selection.
  Frankly, I am embarrassed that a school steeped in a tradition of science and technology would lend its podium to the leader of a company that funnels millions of dollars to climate change denial lobbyists. ExxonMobil’s flagrant disregard for environmental issues is well-documented, and it has earned the dubious distinction of being the sixth largest airborne pollutant emitter in the US. The corporation is even associated with human rights abuses in countries where they do business.
  Reconciling the advancement of technology and engineering with its real-world human impacts was a cornerstone of “The Plan” when I attended WPI. The IQP was created to impress this balance upon us as students. Although it’s appropriate (and even prestigious) to have the leader of a global industrial juggernaut like ExxonMobil speak at commencement, there has to be a better choice: someone who better exemplifies WPI’s commitment to a balance of humanity and technology.