Dr. Philip Geier, executive director of the Davis United World College Scholars program, urged Wartburg College graduates to “make things happen” at the midyear Commencement Sunday, Dec. 15.

Geier, who received an honorary doctorate of humane letters, and philanthropist Shelby M.C. Davis co-founded the program that helps nearly 2,500 undergraduate students from 150 countries attend 91 U.S. colleges and universities annually. Wartburg has had 82 Davis Scholars, including 62 now on campus with a first-year class of 25.

Geier told the graduates, “There are three types of people in the world: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.”

He added, “I trust all of you graduates will be making things happen.”

Citing his career in international education, Geier said “three key ingredients” are necessary — “developing the skills, having the right attitude and being committed to shaping a better world.”

“What a joy to discover that these three attributes are in such abundance here at Wartburg,” said Geier, who earlier met with administrators, faculty and international students.

“I have seen them in the individuals I met and sense that they are deeply embedded in the culture and very identity of Wartburg,” he added.

Geier holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Williams College and his master’s and doctoral degrees in history from Syracuse University. He served as a U.S. Navy officer in Vietnam before launching a career in education that has taken him to positions across the United States and to France and Greece.

His association with the Davis family includes being program designer and director of Davis Projects for Peace. Philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis — Shelby Davis’ mother who died in April at 106 — celebrated her 100th birthday in 2007 by committing $1 million annually to fund 100 grass-root projects by college students to help build peace.