AUSTIN, Texas—Kenneth Apfel, U.S. Commissioner for Social Security and a 1977 graduate of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, will be one of the keynote speakers at individual convocations held by the 14 colleges and schools this weekend at The University of Texas at Austin.
These convocations, with traditions unique to each area, are scheduled Friday through Sunday at locations on or near campus.
The capstone event bringing all these graduates of the Class of 1999 together with their friends and relatives is the 116th Spring Commencement ceremonies beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday (May 22). Pageantry, dramatic fireworks, music, colorful regalia and triumphant lighting of the Tower all will be a part of the celebration. Dr. William S. Livingston, renowned UT professor of political science, author and administrator, will be the Commencement speaker.
Listed below are the Commencement activities, including the convocations of the colleges and schools at UT Austin. Convocations of colleges and schools that include both graduate and undergraduate students in their ceremonies are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Friday, May 21:
10 a.m. — Graduate School Homecoming Hooding Ceremony, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center.
11 a.m. — Masters of Professional Accounting (MPA) Recognition Ceremony, Hogg Auditorium. The speaker will be Robert Mednick, retired partner of Arthur Andersen Worldwide and currently on faculty at Northwestern University in Illinois and Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
2 p.m. — Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Recognition Ceremony, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Art Center. The speaker will be Christina Jones, founder and president of PC Order.com of Austin.
4 p.m. — ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Bates Recital Hall, Performing Art Center. The speaker will be Vice Admiral John W. Craine Jr., Director of Naval Training and Chief of Naval Education and Training.
Saturday, May 22
8 a.m. — Graduate School (master’s degree candidates), Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. The speaker will be Teresa A. Sullivan, vice president and dean of Graduate Studies.
9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. — The Great TEXAS EX-it Open House, Lila B. Etter Alumni Center
10 a.m. — College of Communication, Frank Erwin Center.* The speaker will be Dr. Robert Jeffrey, the Allan Shivers Centennial Chair in Communication, UT Austin, and former dean of the College of Communication.
10:30 a.m. — Graduate School (doctoral degree candidates), Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. The speaker will be Teresa A. Sullivan, vice president and dean of Graduate Studies
11 a.m. — Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, Bates Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center. The speaker will be Kenneth Apfel, U.S. Commissioner for Social Security, and a 1977 graduate of the LBJ School of Public Affairs.
11 a.m. — College of Engineering, Gregory Gymnasium.* The speaker will be Nasser I. Al-Rashid, Ph.D., chairman of Rashid Engineering of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
1 p.m. — Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University Teaching Center, 2.112A. The speaker will be Edward Taylor, president of Collective Technologies, a high technology company based in Austin.
1 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, Erwin Center. The speaker will be Dr. Robert Holz, the Eric W. Zimmerman Regents Professor in Geography at UT Austin.
1:30 p.m. — School of Social Work, Bass Concert Hall.* Students serve as speakers. The graduate student speaker will be Thais Davenport Kilday and the undergraduate student speaker is Richard Anthony Baker.
2 p.m. — School of Nursing, Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium, Sid Richardson Hall #3.* The speaker will be Robert E. Askew Sr., M.D., F.A.C.S., a longtime local physician and retired surgeon who has been supportive of nursing and women’s health.
3 p.m. — College of Education, Gregory Gymnasium. The speaker will be Hector De Leon, president of De Leon, Boggins and Icenogle Attorneys at Law of Austin.
3:30 p.m. — School of Architecture, Texas Union Ballroom, 3.202.* No speaker.
4 p.m. — College of Fine Arts, Bass Concert Hall. The speaker will be Dr. Hanns-Bertold Dietz, professor in musicology in the School of Music.
8 p.m. — 116th Spring Commencement, The University of Texas at Austin, South Terrace of the Main Building (Erwin Center in the event of rain).
7 p.m. — Carillon Prelude
7:20 p.m. — Commencement Concert
8 p.m. — Grand Procession
- Grand Procession of Degree Candidates
- Remarks by Larry R. Faulkner, president, The University of Texas at Austin
- Address by William S. Livingston, senior vice president, The University of Texas at Austin
- Certification of degree candidates and conferring of degrees
- “The Eyes of Texas” and recessional. Music by the UT Austin Chamber Singers, Concert Chorale, Longhorn Band, and Wind Ensemble
Sunday, May 23
9 a.m. — College of Business Administration, Erwin Center. The speaker will be Frank W. Maresh, chairman of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.
10:30 a.m. — Department of Psychology, Gregory Gymnasium.
Noon — College of Natural Sciences, Erwin Center. The speaker will be J. Virgil Waggoner, president and CEO of JVW Investments, LLC.
2 p.m. — College of Pharmacy, Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium, Sid Richardson Hall #3.* The speaker will be Dr. Jaime Delgado, the Servier Regents Professor in Pharmacy and Distinguished Professor, UT Austin.
4 p.m. — School of Law, Erwin Center. The speaker will be Stephen D. Susman of Houston, managing partner of Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
