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The University of Texas at Austin
July 26, 2024
UT News
Campus & Community
May 14, 2001

Convocations at UT Austin feature prominent speakers

An Academy Award-winning actress, the executive producer of a hit television series, a state government official, a former UT Austin president and a veteran political advisor are among the keynote speakers for spring 2001 convocation ceremonies May 18 and 19 at The University of Texas at Austin.

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AUSTIN, Texas—An Academy Award-winning actress, the executive producer of a hit television series, a state government official, a former UT Austin president and a veteran political advisor are among the keynote speakers for spring 2001 convocation ceremonies May 18 and 19 at The University of Texas at Austin.

Convocations hosted by the various colleges, schools and departments are the ceremonies during which undergraduates and graduate students are presented with diplomas in recognition of their new status as graduates. The convocations each have their individualized honors and traditions and provide excellent photo opportunities for families and friends to capture special moments such as the hooding of doctoral and masters students or of deans shaking hands with graduates receiving diplomas.

All graduating students also are invited to join together on the South Mall of the Main Building for the Commencement 2001 ceremony on May 19, which begins with a carillon prelude at 7 p.m. and ends with the traditional singing of The Eyes of Texas. UT Austin Professor Steven Weinberg, who in 1979 won the Nobel Prize in Physics, will be the keynote speaker.

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 18:

  • 8 a.m. — Graduate School (master’s degree candidates) Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Neil Orts, (512) 471-4511. No speaker.
  • 8 a.m. — McCombs School of Business (Undergraduate) Erwin Center. Contact: dean’s office, (512) 471-0690. Speaker: Businesman Red McCombs.
  • 10 a.m. — Naval ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Texas Union, Quadrangle Room (Room 3.304). Contact: USMC Capt. David Baldwin, (512) 471-7647. Speaker: U.S. Navy Capt. Gene Garrett, commanding officer of the UT Austin Naval ROTC unit.
  • 10 a.m. — Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Main Building, Room 212. Contact: U.S. Army Lt. Col. Arthur B. Cooper, (512) 471-5919. No speaker.
  • 11 a.m. — Air Force ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Steindam Hall, ROTC Conference Room. Contact: USAF Capt. Mark Janicki, (512) 232-2372. No speaker.
  • 11 a.m. — College of Liberal Arts, Gregory Gymnasium. (Joint convocation for the disciplines listed below. For departments not included, please consult the remaining schedule for time and location.) The disciplines include: department of anthropology, Center for African and African American Studies, department of American studies, department of Asian studies, department of classics, department of French and Italian, 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, and Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies. Contact: Mary De La Garza, (512) 471-4271. No speaker.
  • 11:30 a.m. — Master of Professional Accounting (MPA). Recognition ceremony in Hogg Auditorium. Reception in the business school atrium. Contact: PPA/MPA Office, (512) 471-6559. Speaker: Businessman Red McCombs.
  • 1 p.m. — Joint ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Bates Recital Hall, Performing Art Center. Contact: U.S. Army Maj. Thomas P. Palladino, (512) 471-5919. Speaker: Lt. Gen. Freddy E. McFarren, commander of the Fifth U.S. Army in Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio.
  • 1:30 p.m. — Masters of Business Administration (MBA). Recognition ceremony in Bass Concert Hall of the Performing Art Center. Reception in the Hall of Honors at McCombs School of Business. Contact: Mary Gallardo, (512) 471-7604. Speaker: Businessman Red McCombs.
  • 2 p.m. — Minority Graduation Reception, Connally Banquet Hall, Alumni Center. Contact: Margarita Arellano, (512) 471-1205. Speaker: UT Austin President Larry R. Faulkner.
  • 2.30 p.m. — College of Communication, Erwin Center. Contact: Phyllis Akmal, (512) 475-6375. Ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students. Speaker: Tommy (Thomas) Schlamme, a UT Austin radio-television-film graduate and executive producer of Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning drama, The West Wing.
  • 3 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, department of psychology, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Alice Andrews, (512) 471-4410. Ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students. Speaker: Professor James W. Pennebaker, Ph. D., professor of psychology at UT Austin.
  • 3:30 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, Plan II Honors Program, Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium. Contact: Jennifer Scalora, (512) 471-1442. Speaker: UT Austin Vice President for Student Affairs James W. Vick.
  • 4 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, department of history, Hogg Auditorium. Contact: William Sederholm, (512) 471-3261. Speaker: Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Bobby R. Inman, a former director of the National Security Agency and deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
  • 5:30 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, departments of government, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Nancy Moses, (512) 471-5121. Speaker: Professor Robert Hardgrave, Ph. D., Temple Professor in the Humanities, department of government at UT Austin.
  • 7 p.m. — College of Engineering, Erwin Center. Contact: Ann Bedinger, (512) 471-1166. Ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students. Speaker: Professor Emeritus Earnest F. Gloyna, former dean of the UT Austin College of Engineering.
  • 7 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, department of economics, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Prudence Ching, (512) 475-8507. Ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students. Speaker: James Reichert, president of the National Tax Research Committee.

Saturday, May 19:

  • 8 a.m. — College of Natural Sciences, Erwin Center. Contact: Shirley Reed, (512) 232-1068. Speaker: Dr. Roy F. Schwitters, distinguished physicist and chairman of the department of physics.
  • 8 a.m. — Graduate School (Doctoral Degree Candidates) Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Neil Orts, (512) 471-4511. No speaker:
  • 10 a.m. — College of Education, Gregory Gymnasium, Yolanda Thomas, (512) 471-3486. Speaker: UT Austin Vice Provost Lucia Gilbert.
  • 10:30 a.m. — School of Nursing, Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium. Reception in plaza adjacent to LBJ Library. Contact: Sue Walker, (512) 232-4799. Ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students. Speaker: Asst. Dean Lorraine Walker, Ed.D., UT Austin School of Nursing.
  • 11 a.m. — Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University Teaching Center 2.112A. Reception in the Sánchez Building, 5th Floor. Contact: Melba Claymon, (512) 471-2185. Speaker: Robert M. Berdahl, president of the University of California-Berkeley and a former president of UT Austin.
  • 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: James Carville, political strategist and campaign manager.
  • Noon — College of Natural Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Erwin Center. Contact: Shirley Reed, (512) 232-1068. Speaker: Adjunct Professor Matthew M. Winkler, chief executive officer and chief scientific officer of Ambion, Inc.
  • 12:30 p.m. — College of Fine Arts, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Reception in the Fine Arts Building. Contact: Lydia Guenthner, (512) 475-7034. Speaker: Marcia Gay Harden, winner of the 2001 Academy Award for Best-supporting Actress.
  • 2 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, department of English, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Ramona VanLoan, (512) 471-4991. No speaker.
  • 3 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts, Center for Mexican American Studies, University Teaching Center 2.112A. Reception following ceremony. Contact: Jordana Barton, (512) 471-2136. Speaker: Dr. Carlos Morena, professor and chairman of the department of family practice and community medicine, UT Houston Health Science Center.
  • 3 p.m. — College of Pharmacy, Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium. Reception in the LBJ Auditorium, upper lobby. Contact: Lisa Meyer, (512) 475-9753. Speaker: John Carson, president of the National Community Pharmacists Association.
  • 3:30 p.m. — School of Architecture, Texas Union Ballroom, Room 3.202. Reception in Goldsmith Hall. Contact: Jeanne Crawford, (512) 471-0109. Ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students. No speaker:
  • 3:30 p.m. — School of Social Work, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Julie Cunniff, (512) 471-0562. Ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students. Speakers: Professor Emeritus Jack Otis, former dean of the School of Social Work; Cory Michelle Jones, undergraduate representative and Ramon Roberto Gomez, representing masters degree candidates.
  • 3:30 p.m. — School of Law, Erwin Center. Reception in the law school atrium. Contact: Susana Alemán, (512) 232-1313. Speaker: Texas Secretary of State Henry Cuellar.

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