AUSTIN, Texas—Keynote speakers for convocations at The University of Texas at Austin this spring will include scholars, military officials, an entrepreneur, a state representative and a retired United States senator.
University convocations at UT Austin, with traditions unique to each area, are scheduled Friday through Sunday and generally are the ceremonies during which undergraduates and graduate students are presented with diplomas in recognition of their new status as graduates. All of these students are invited to join together on the South Mall of the Main Building for the Commencement 2000 ceremony, which begins with a carillon prelude at 7 p.m. Saturday (May 20).
Listed below are the convocation dates for the various colleges and schools, the names of people to contact for information and names of the keynote speakers:
Friday, May 19
8 a.m. — Graduate School (master’s degree candidates), Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Neil Orts, (512) 471-4511. No speaker.
10 a.m. — Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Main Building 212. Contact Arthur B. Cooper, Lt. Col., United States Army, (512) 471-5919. Speaker: Toni Serene, widow of a soldier killed in Vietnam.
10 a.m. — Naval ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Graduate School of Business 2.124. Contact: David Baldwin, Captain, USMC, (512) 471-7647. Speaker: Rear Admiral Clay Fulcher (retired)
11 a.m. — College of Liberal Arts, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Fran Chapman, (512) 471-4141. Speaker: Dr. Richard Lariviere, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. The departments, institutes and centers include:
- Department of Anthropology
- Center for African and African American Studies
- Department of American Studies
- Department of Asian Studies
- Department of Classics
- Department of Geography
- Department of Germanic Languages
- Humanities Program
- Institute of Latin American Studies
- Department of Linguistics
- Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures
- Center for Middle Eastern Studies
- Department of Philosophy
- Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
- Department of Spanish and Portuguese
- Department of Sociology
- Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies
11 a.m. — Masters of Professional Accounting (MPA), Recognition Ceremony in Hogg Auditorium. Reception in atrium of the School of Business. Contact: Judi Hardison, (512) 471-3592. Speaker: Former U.S. Congressman J. J. “Jake” Pickle.
1 p.m. — Joint ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Bates Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Thom H. Terwilleger, major, USAF, (512) 471-1776. Speaker: Gen. Lester L. Lyles of the United States Air Force. He is commander, Air Force Material Command, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
1:30 p.m. — Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Recognition Ceremony, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Art Center. Reception: Hall of Honors, College of Business Administration. Contact: Mary Gallardo, (512) 471-7604. Speaker: Dan Scheinman, senior vice president of legal and governmental affairs at Cisco Systems Inc.
2.30 p.m. — College of Communication, convocation for both graduate and undergraduate students in the Erwin Center. Contact: Phyllis Akmal, (512) 475-6375. Speaker: Sara Martinez Tucker, president and CEO of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
2:30 p.m. — Air Force ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Bass Lecture Hall. Contact: Thom H. Terwilliger, Major, USAF, (512) 471-1776. No speaker:
2:30 p.m. — Minority Graduation Reception, Connally Banquet Hall, Alumni Center. Contact: Margarita Arellano, (512) 471-1205. No speaker.
3 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, department of economics, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Prudence Ching, (512) 475-8507. Speaker: Bernard Rapoport, chairman emeritus of American Life Insurance Company and a former chairman of The University of Texas Board of Regents.
3:30 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, Plan II Honors Program, Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium. Contact: Jennifer Scalora, (512) 471-1442. No speaker.
5:30 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, departments of history and government, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contacts: history: William Sederholm, (512) 471-3261; government: Nancy Moses, (512) 471-5121.
7 p.m. — College of Engineering, convocation for both graduate and undergraduate students at Erwin Center. Reception at the Erwin Center. Contact: Ann Bedinger, (512) 471-1166. Speaker: Gary Daniels, retired vice president of Motorola and a lecturer at UT Austin.
7 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, department of psychology, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Alice Andrews, (512) 471-4410. Speaker: Associate Professor Marc Lewis of the department of psychology.
Saturday, May 20
8 a.m. — Graduate School (doctoral degree candidates), Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Neil Orts (512) 471-4511. No speaker.
8 a.m. — College of Business Administration, Erwin Center. Contact: undergraduate dean’s office, (512) 475-6084. Speaker: Dean Robert May and a senior student.
10 a.m. — College of Education, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Yolanda Thomas, (512) 471-3486. Speaker: Austin Independent School District Superintendent Pascal “Pat” Forgione.
10 a.m. — Center for Mexican American Studies Ceremony, Flawn Academic Center atrium. Contact: Jordana Barton, (512) 471-2136. Speaker: State Rep. Henry Cu¹llar of Laredo.
11 a.m. — Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University Teaching Center 2.112A. Reception in the Sönchez Building, 5th Floor. Contact: Melba Claymon, (512) 471-2185. Speaker: Michel Marriott, editor of the technology section of The New York Times.
11 a.m. — Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, Bates Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center. Reception in the Thompson Conference Center. Contact: Courtney Brown, (512) 471-8288. Speaker: Judith A. Winston, general counsel for the U.S. Department of Education and Acting U.S. Undersecretary of Education.
11:30 a.m. — School of Nursing, Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium. Reception: LBJ Auditorium, upper lobby. Contact: Sue Walker, (512) 232-4799. Speaker: Sarah Weddington, attorney and adjunct associate professor at UT Austin.
Noon — College of Natural Sciences, Erwin Center. Contact: Janice Anderson, (512) 471-3285. Speaker: Marc Seriff, one of the original founders of America Online.
12:30 p.m. — College of Fine Arts, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Reception: Fine Arts Building. Contact: Doris Kidd, (512) 471-5011. Speaker: Professor David Nancarrow of the department of theatre and dance.
2 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, department of English, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Sally Eddleman, (512) 471-4991. No Speaker.
3 p.m. — College of Natural Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Erwin Center. Contact: Janice Anderson, (512) 471-3285. Speaker: Dr. David Hillis, director of the School of Biological Sciences at UT Austin.
3:30 p.m. — School of Social Work, convocation for graduate and undergraduate students in Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Julie Cunniff, (512) 471-0562. Speakers: One student speaker each from the graduate class and the undergraduate class.
3:30 p.m.— School of Architecture, convocation for graduate and undergraduate students, Texas Union Ballroom 3.202. Reception in Goldsmith Hall. Contact: dean’s office, (512) 471-1922. No speaker.
3:30 p.m. — College of Pharmacy, Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium. Reception: LBJ Auditorium, upper lobby. Contact: Lisa Meyer, (512) 475-9753. Speaker: Gay Dodson, executive director of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.
Sunday, May 21:
10:30 a.m. — School of Law, Erwin Center. Contact: Susana Alemön, (512) 232-1313. Speaker: Houston attorney Richard Mithoff.
