MYTHBUSTERS CO-HOST JAMIE HYNEMAN TO DELIVER VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY'S 2010 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Hyneman has partnered with Villanova’s College of Engineering on numerous projects, including development of blast-resistant armor for the Office of Naval Research
May 10, 2010
VILLANOVA, Pa.- Villanova University President, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., announced that Jamie Hyneman, co-host of the Discovery Channel's popular show "MythBusters," will address the Class of 2010 as the commencement speaker. Hyneman has an on-going collaborative relationship with the University, as his company, M5 Industries, partners with Villanova's College of Engineering to develop new safety concepts for the military. Hyneman will receive the degree of Doctor of Engineering, honoris causa.
The commencement ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on May 16 in Villanova Stadium. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Pavilion.
Jamie Hyneman, best known as co-host of the Discovery Channel's Emmy-nominated "MythBusters," has been in the visual effects field for more than 25 years. Hyneman holds several patents and is a longtime Screen Actors Guild member and a member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators. Hyneman teamed with Villanova engineering professor Ed Dougherty and others in designing the aerial robotic camera system Wavecam, used at sports and entertainment events including Villanova basketball games.
Hyneman's company, M5 Industries, has partnered with the Villanova University College of Engineering on a number of projects including the development of new concepts in blast resistant armor for the Office of Naval Research. The two also collaborated on a two-year study funded by the Office of Naval Research to investigate disasters at sea. Additionally, Hyneman has lectured and interacted with Villanova engineering classes and professors for capstone projects on entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.
Shot in Hyneman's special effects studio in San Francisco, "MythBusters" is based on applying a range of skills he has acquired as a visual effects expert to replicate and test urban legends and popular misconceptions. Each week, Hyneman and fellow special effects expert Adam Savage take on three myths and use modern-day science to demonstrate and explain how something may or not be scientifically possible.
Today, while his work for the Discovery Channel occupies the majority of his professional time, Hyneman is actively involved in developing cutting-edge technologies and prototypes for a variety of industries, ranging from defense to green vehicle design. In recent years he has designed and built numerous robots for defense, fire-fighting, rescue and surveillance, including robotic blast victim replicas for U.S. Army medic training.