Worcester Polytechnic Institute has chosen the leader of ExxonMobil to speak at this year's commencement, a move that has triggered a backlash from some students and professors who say big oil is out of line with university values.

WPI President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis D. Berkey is praising the choice of Rex W. Tillerson, ExxonMobil's chairman and chief executive officer. Mr. Berkey called the oil company chief one of the country's most successful business leaders, a respected authority on energy and a friend to WPI.



But some on campus see it differently.



"To choose the CEO of ExxonMobil as the speaker - to me, it doesn't align with that statement that we are concerned with the ethical implications of our energy use," said Linnea M. Palmer Paton, a member of this spring's graduating class. "Rex Tillerson has not been the kind of leader we need to lead us to a stable future."



Rhiannon Chiacchiaro, a WPI student scheduled to graduate in the fall, also said the choice is out of step for a university that promotes environmental responsibility - and has taken steps to construct campus buildings according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards.



"I feel like it's hypocritical for a school that is so proud of its LEED-certified buildings and its environmental programs," Ms. Chiacchiaro said. "It's depressing. It's a little upsetting to see."



Those opposed to the choice of Mr. Tillerson said they have nothing against the man himself, and would oppose a commencement speaker from any big oil company, not just ExxonMobil.



More than 1,000 students are expected to graduate from WPI on May 14.



Despite the hostile response to the chosen speaker, WPI spokeswoman Eileen Brangan Mell said the school is not reconsidering its invitation to Mr. Tillerson.



The board of trustees chooses the commencement speaker every year, based on nominations from board members and from members of the WPI community, Ms. Mell said.



In a news release announcing the choice of the commencement speaker, WPI said ExxonMobil is a regular employer of WPI graduates and a generous donor to the university. The donations, totaling more than $1.3 million over the years, help fund the university's science, technology, engineering and math outreach programs at elementary, middle and high schools.



Mr. Berkey said in a statement yesterday that ExxonMobil's leader has demonstrated a deep commitment to developing sustainable energy solutions.



"Under Tillerson's leadership, ExxonMobil is investing billions to improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impacts and support research into technology breakthroughs," Mr. Berkey said.



ExxonMobil is the world's largest publicly traded oil company. In a report posted on the company website, Mr. Tillerson said ExxonMobil is committed to meet the rising worldwide demand for energy "safely and with minimal environmental impact."



In an August 2008 interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson, Mr. Tillerson said his company is investing in technology to develop energy from alternative sources.



"For ExxonMobil to make a meaningful difference, we've really got to find a way to change those technologies to provide those alternative forms of energy on a much larger scale and at a cost that people can afford," Mr. Tillerson said, according to a transcript of the interview. "It doesn't do the consumer a lot of good to substitute an alternative fuel that costs $5 for gasoline that costs $4."



But Roger S. Gottlieb, a philosophy professor at WPI, criticized the oil giant for funding a campaign to cast doubt on global warming.



For example, the Union of Concerned Scientists reported in 2007 that the oil giant had funneled $16 million to a campaign to do just that.ExxonMobil also has a record of polluting, Mr. Gottlieb said.



He was one of more than a dozen faculty members who wrote a letter to WPI's president, protesting the choice of Mr. Tillerson as commencement speaker.



In his 30 years at WPI, Mr. Gottlieb said, he has never been so opposed to any commencement speaker.



"Clearly, humanity is in a terrible situation with our dependence on fossil fuels," the professor said.

"It's about making a speedy, rational and moral transition," he continued. "What Exxon has done is to try to slow down that transition."



Some of the students upset with the choice of Mr. Tillerson plan to take their concerns to Mr. Berkey. They have not decided on a strategy for protesting the commencement address.



"There are varying degrees of what students want to do," Ms. Paton said. "Some want to protest by decorating their caps. We discussed lots of different things we can do. Personally, I think I would walk out during the speech."

Ms. Chiacchiaro said she would prefer to see graduation conclude without commotion or protest, but added, "If it comes to it, it has to be done."



Students who oppose ExxonMobil may be in the minority on campus, she acknowledged. "There is a division," she said. "There are people who don't care, or who want to work for ExxonMobil and want to hear (Mr. Tillerson) speak."