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New York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub, author of more than 70 published novels, has been named the keynote speaker for the SUNY Fredonia 2008 Commencement ceremonies.

A native of Dunkirk, N.Y., and a SUNY Fredonia alumna of the Department of English, she writes suspense thrillers and young adult novels under her own name as well as women’s fiction/romance titles under the pseudonym, “Wendy Markham.” Ms. Corsi Staub is a regular among such bestseller lists as USA Today, Barnes & Noble’s Top Ten, and Bookscan, in addition to the New York Times, which included her latest novel, “Don’t Scream,” for five weeks.

Ms. Corsi Staub will speak at both Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 17. She will also hold two book-signing sessions on Friday, May 16, beginning at 2:30 p.m. with a session open to the public at the University Commons bookstore. A second, student-only session will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the natatorium atrium, following the 4:00 p.m. Commencement rehearsal in Steele Hall.

“We are delighted to welcome home such a successful and accomplished alumna,” SUNY Fredonia President Dennis Hefner said. “Not only is Wendy an example of the seemingly countless high-caliber individuals who began their remarkable careers here at Fredonia, but she also underscores for our graduates the potential that awaits them.”

Ms. Corsi Staub’s work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and has twice been awarded the Washington Irving Prize for Fiction. In addition, she has won two RITA® awards from the Romance Writers of America (RWA), and was the 2007 recipient of the RWA-New York City Golden Apple Award for Lifetime Achievement. In April 2008, she will be honored at the RT Booklovers National Convention with its Career Achievement in Suspense award.

“This is an exciting and heartwarming opportunity,” Ms. Corsi Staub said. “I’m very happy to be able to return to the place I called home for so many years, and to the university where I have so many wonderful memories. I’m looking forward to interacting with the students, faculty and community, and sharing with them some of the valuable life lessons I’ve learned since my days on the Fredonia campus.”

Ms. Corsi Staub says that she knew in third grade that she wanted to become an author. She moved to New York City at age 21 to start that endeavor in earnest. Early in her career, she co-authored a mystery series with former New York City mayor Ed Koch, served as a ghost writer for several bestselling authors and celebrities, and wrote novelizations for television series such as “Charmed” and the companion scrapbook for the series “Party of Five.”

In 2007 she launched a paranormal series for young adults entitled, “Lily Dale,” a clear nod to the neighboring tourist village in her native Chautauqua County. She now lives outside New York City with her husband and their two children. She has two novels scheduled for release in May, “Dying Breath” and “Lily Dale: Believing,” with another three novels coming this summer and fall: “Slightly Settled,” “That's Amore,” and “Lily Dale: Connecting.”