Calamos Investments Founder John Calamos Named Keynote Speaker, Will Receive Honorary Degree at Illinois Tech’s 2022 Commencement
CHICAGO—May 14, 2022—John P. Calamos Sr. (ECON ’63/M.B.A. ’70), alumnus and founder, chairman, and global chief investment officer of Calamos Investments, will receive Illinois Institute of Technology’s (Illinois Tech) highest academic honor, the Honorary Doctor of Management Science, honoris causa, and deliver the keynote address at the university’s Commencement Main Ceremony on May 14, 2022.
Calamos will be honored for his many years of service as a member of Illinois Tech’s Board of Trustees and of the Board of Advisors at Stuart School of Business, in addition to serving on the Board of Advisors for Illinois Tech’s Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Campus in Wheaton, Illinois. In 2011 Calamos and his wife, Mae, committed $10 million to the university through the John P. Calamos Sr. Foundation to establish an endowed chair for the dean of the Stuart School and an endowed chair in philosophy in Lewis College of Science and Letters.
“We are delighted to have John Calamos share his knowledge and life experience with our graduates in this keynote address,” says Raj Echambadi, president of Illinois Tech. “John has contributed so much to Illinois Tech over the years, and we are so grateful to have him as part of our alumni community.”
Founded in 1977 with origins as an institutional convertible bond manager, Calamos Investments has grown into a global asset management firm with institutional and individual clients worldwide. A pioneer in the use of convertible securities, Calamos launched one of the first convertible funds in 1985 as a way to manage risk for clients in volatile times. He also established one of the first liquid alternative funds in 1990, reflecting a focus on innovation that continues to this day.
With more than 50 years of industry experience, Calamos is often quoted as an authority on risk-management investment strategies, markets, and the economy. He is a frequent speaker at investment conferences around the world, and appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and Fox Business Channel. He has authored two books: Investing in Convertible Securities: Your Complete Guide to the Risks and Rewards and Convertible Securities: The Latest Instruments, Portfolio Strategies, and Valuation Analysis.
A graduate of the Illinois Tech ROTC program, Calamos served in the United States Air Force. During the Vietnam War, he served as a forward air controller. His Air Force career included five years of active duty flying B-52 bombers and 12 years in the reserves flying A-37 jet fighters. He retired as a major.
Calamos received a B.A. in economics and an M.B.A. in finance from Illinois Tech, and holds an honorary doctorate in humanities from Hellenic College Holy Cross.
For more information about Illinois Tech’s 2022 Commencement ceremony, please visit www.iit.edu/commencement.
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ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, is a private, technology-focused research university. Illinois Tech is the only university of its kind in Chicago, and its Chicago location offers students access to the world-class resources of a great global metropolis. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, architecture, business, design, science and human sciences, and law. One of 22 institutions that comprise the Association of Independent Technological Universities, Illinois Tech provides an exceptional education centered on active learning, and its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Illinois Tech uniquely prepares students to succeed in professions that require technological sophistication, an innovative mindset, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Visit iit.edu.
