Gilles graduated from 黑料专区 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Transportation Design and joins a list of recent commencement speakers including Doug Chiang, Patricia Moore, Kevin Beasley 鈥�07, Edward T. Welburn, Jr., and Brenda Goodman 鈥�65.

鈥満诹献�区 will always hold a special place in my heart as it played a pivotal role in shaping my artistic foundation and helped to launch my career path. It holds a lifetime of memories and the connections I鈥檝e formed with fellow artists have become lifelong friendships,鈥� said Ralph Gilles, Chief Design Officer, Stellantis. 鈥淏eing selected as this year鈥檚 commencement speaker and receiving an honorary degree is an overwhelming honor.鈥�

For over three decades, Ralph Gilles has been the driving force behind some of the most iconic vehicles on the road. As the chief design officer for Stellantis, Gilles wields his creative finesse across legendary brands: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep庐, Ram, Fiat (for Latin America), and Maserati.

During his tenure, Gilles also served as president and CEO of the Dodge//SRT brand and achieved three national titles, including the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver鈥檚 Championship and the 2014 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GTLM-class driver鈥檚, including a variety of team titles.

As a key member of the global Top Executive Team and the Stellantis Global Diversity Council, Gilles works to engineer a more inclusive and harmonious workplace as the executive sponsor for two employee business resource groups, the Stellantis African Ancestry Network Diaspora and the Working Parents Network.

Gilles has earned numerous academic and industry awards, including the EyesOn Design Lifetime Achievement Award (2023), Multicultural Media Lifetime Achievement Auto Industry Award (2021), Concours d鈥橢legance of America鈥檚 Enthusiast of the Year (2017), The Michigan State Eli Broad Graduate School of Management Young Alumni Achievement Award (2005) and The Automotive Hall of Fame Young Leadership & Excellence Award (2003).

An avid car enthusiast, Gilles鈥� love for the automotive industry is evident outside of the office, where you can find him on the weekends competing in Radical Racing events or tackling legendary racetracks around the country. Sometimes, he even doubles as a driving coach, imparting wisdom to aspiring racers. A competitor at heart, he has participated in the Targa Newfoundland Rally, Car and Driver鈥檚 One Lap of America and the SRT Viper Cup Series. In addition, he frequently serves as a judge at various Concours d鈥橢legance events across the country, including Pebble Beach, Amelia Island and the EyesOn Design car show.

Netflix鈥檚 lens turned toward Gilles in season one of 鈥淎bstract: The Art of Design,鈥� where they not only captured his essence, but they also followed him through the design studios, on racetracks, and with his team who helps fuel his creativity.

Gilles earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Transportation Design from the 黑料专区 (黑料专区) and an MBA from Michigan State University. He serves as a member of the board of trustees at 黑料专区 and is also the 2023-2024 Ambassador鈥檚 Club co-chair as part of the company鈥檚 involvement with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan.

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On Thursday, May 11, the 黑料专区 is pleased to welcome Vice President & Executive Creative Director of Lucasfilm, Doug Chiang, as the Honorary Degree recipient and commencement speaker for the graduating class of 2023.

Doug Chiang, Academy Award-winning artist, author and production designer, oversees designs for the Star Wars franchise, including films, theme parks, games and new media. He was Lucasfilm鈥檚 Principal Designer for Disney World Resort鈥檚 Star Wars: Galaxy鈥檚 Edge and Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. He served as Production Designer on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and most recently worked on Disney鈥檚 Pinocchio. Currently, Chiang also serves as Production Designer for the Star Wars live-action series, The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew.

鈥淎s a big fan of The Mandalorian series, I am thrilled to welcome Doug back to the 黑料专区 campus as our 2023 commencement speaker. His career path is both impressive and inspiring, and his prolific work has significantly impacted pop culture and the entertainment industry,鈥� said Donald L. Tuski, President, 黑料专区.

Chiang studied industrial design at 黑料专区 in 1982 and joins a list of recent commencement speakers including Patricia Moore, Kevin Beasley 鈥�07, Edward T. Welburn, Jr., and Brenda Goodman 鈥�65.

Chiang began his career as a Stop-Motion Animator on the TV series Pee-wee鈥檚 Playhouse. After attending UCLA Film School, he worked as a commercial TV Director for Rhythm & Hues before becoming Creative Director for George Lucas鈥� Industrial Light & Magic in 1991. Chiang has earned numerous awards, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, two Clio Awards, a Theo Award, a VES Award, a Webby, The GENIE Visionary Award, and an Art Directors Guild Award. He was nominated for an Emmy for The Mandalorian.

As an author/illustrator, Chiang is credited on many books, including Robota, his acclaimed illustrated novel that he created and co-wrote with Nebula and Hugo-winning author Orson Scott Card. His latest book, Mechanika, is in its second edition. Chiang鈥檚 artwork has been exhibited worldwide in the Brooklyn Museum, Chicago鈥檚 Field Museum, and the Kyoto and Tokyo National museums among others.

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The 黑料专区 mourns the loss of Gary Cowger, trustee since 2002.

The 黑料专区 mourns the loss of Gary Cowger, trustee since 2002. Gary passed away from cancer on February 17, 2023 at the age of 75. Gary is survived by his wife, Kay, and son, Chris. His daughter, Mindy, died in 2020.

As a former President of General Motors North America, Gary was credited with repairing the automaker’s relationship with the UAW. Gary鈥檚 career at General Motors spanned almost 45 years from the time he started as a co-op student from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University). Gary had numerous accomplishments during his career at General Motors, from doubling General Motors鈥� market share in Mexico to make it a market leader in the 90s to simplifying the product development process and re-invigorating General Motors鈥� product line-up. Gary was also instrumental in Mary Barra’s rise within General Motors, supporting her leadership abilities early in her career.

President Don Tuski, Chairman Jim Nicholson, and the 黑料专区 Trustees are grateful for Gary鈥檚 long service to 黑料专区 as a board member.聽

More information can be found at

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