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The University of Texas at Austin
July 26, 2024
UT News
Campus & Community
May 06, 2002

Convocations at The University of Texas at Austin to include national celebrities as speakers

Former President George H.W. Bush and television news anchor Dan Rather will be among the speakers talking to graduates at spring 2002 convocation ceremonies May 17 and 18 at The University of Texas at Austin.

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AUSTIN, Texas—Former President George H.W. Bush and television news anchor Dan Rather will be among the speakers talking to graduates at spring 2002 convocation ceremonies May 17 and 18 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 given diplomas. The convocations have their individualized honors and traditions and provide excellent photo opportunities for families and friends to capture special moments, such as the hooding of doctor’s and master’s students or of deans shaking hands with graduates receiving diplomas.

Tickets are required for many of the convocations and other programs by the various colleges, schools and departments because of increasing participation and limited space.

Bush, the 41st president of the United States, will be the speaker for the LBJ School of Public Affairs at 1 p.m. May 18 in the LBJ Auditorium of the Sid Richardson Hall/LBJ Library complex. Rather, anchor and managing editor for CBS Evening News, will speak to graduates of the College of Communication at the Frank C. Erwin Center at 2:30 p.m. May 17.

All graduating students also are invited to join together on the South Mall of the Main Building for the Commencement 2002 ceremony on May 18, which begins with a carillon prelude at 7 p.m. and ends with the traditional singing of The Eyes of Texas. The commencement address will be presented by Edwin Dorn, dean of the university’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. The event is free and open to the public.

Listed below are the convocations for the various colleges and schools, the names of people to contact for information and names of the keynote speakers. Also listed are special spring ceremonies by various departments and other groups.

Friday, May 17:

  • 8 a.m. — Graduate Studies (Master’s Degree Candidates) Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Rick Lutes (512) 232-3627. No speaker.
  • 9 a.m. — McCombs School of Business (undergraduate ceremony) Erwin Center. Contact: dean’s office, (512) 471-0690. Speaker: Austin Mayor Gus Garcia.
  • 10 a.m. — College of Liberal Arts, Gregory Gymnasium. (Joint convocation for the disciplines listed below. For departments not included, please consult 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 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. Speaker: Darren Walker, director of the working communities division, Rockefeller Foundation.
  • 11 a.m. — Graduate Studies (doctor’s degree candidates) Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Rick Lutes (512) 232-3627. No speaker.
  • Noon — Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) recognition ceremony, Hogg Auditorium. Contact: PPA/MPA office at (512) 471-6559. Speaker: Kevin Hegarty, vice president and chief financial officer, The University of Texas at Austin.
  • 1 p.m. — Joint ROTC commissioning ceremony, Bates Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center. Contact: Major Kenneth R. Kassner, United States Marine Corps (512) 471-7647. Speaker: Rear Admiral John W. Townes III.
  • 2 p.m. — Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Alice Andrews, (512) 471-4410. Speaker: Ira Iscoe, the Ashbel Smith professor emeritus, Ph.D.
  • 2 p.m. — Master of Business Administration (MBA) recognition ceremony, Bass Concert Hall of the Performing Arts Center. Reception in the Hall of Honors, McCombs School of Business. Contact: Mary Gallardo (512) 471-7604. Speaker: Alex Davern, chief financial officer and chief information officer for National Instruments of Austin.
  • 2 p.m. — Minority Graduation Reception, Connally Banquet Hall, Etter-Harbin Alumni Center. Contact: Stella Escalante (512) 232-2923. No speaker.
  • 2:30 p.m. — College of Communication (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Erwin Center. Contact: Phyllis Akmal (512) 475-6375. Speaker: Dan Rather, anchor and managing editor of CBS Evening News.
    2:30 p.m. — Department of History, College of Liberal Arts, Hogg Auditorium. Contact: William Sederholm (512) 471-3261. Speaker: Jane Macon of Fulbright and Jaworski.
  • 5:30 p.m. — Department of Government, College of Liberal Arts, Bass Concert Hall of the Performing Arts Center. Contact: Nancy Moses (512) 471-5121. Speaker: Tom Schieffer, United States ambassador to Australia.
  • 6 p.m. — Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Prudence Ching (512) 475-8507. Speaker: P.J. O’Rourke, political satirist and author.
  • 7 p.m. — College of Engineering (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Erwin Center. Contact; Ann Bedinger (512) 471-1166. Speaker: Nav Sooch, chief executive officer, Silicon Laboratories of Austin.

Saturday, May 18:

  • 8 a.m. — College of Natural Sciences, Erwin Center. Contact: Barbara Spain, (512) 232-1067. Speaker: Jean Welhausen Kaspar, chief executive officer of 4K Ranch Properties.
  • 9 a.m. — College of Pharmacy, Bass Concert Hall of the Performing Arts Center. Contact: Lisa Meyer (512) 475-9753. Speaker: John Ogden, chief consultant for pharmacy benefits management and director of pharmacy service, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, D.C.
  • 9 a.m. — Plan II Honors Program, College of Liberal Arts, Hogg Auditorium. Contact: Jennifer Scalora (512) 471-1442. Speaker: James F. Parker, chief executive officer and executive vice president of Southwest Airlines.
  • 9:30 a.m. — School of Nursing, Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium (reception in the LBJ Auditorium upper lobby. Contact: Sue Walker (512) 232-4799. Speaker: Dr. Richard Lariviere, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas at Austin.
  • 10 a.m. — College of Education, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Theresa Thomas (512) 471-3486. Speaker: Dr. Mary Steinhardt, associate professor of kinesiology and health education, The University of Texas at Austin.
  • 11 a.m. — Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University Teaching Center 2.112A (reception in the Sanchez Building, fifth floor). Contact: Melba Claymon (512) 471-2185. Speaker: Andrew Dillon, dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.
  • Noon — College of Fine Arts, Bass Concert Hall of the Performing Arts Center. Contact: Lydia Guenthner (512) 475-7034. Speaker: Professor William Lewis, School of Music, The University of Texas at Austin.
  • 12:30 p.m. — School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Erwin Center. Contact: Barbara Spain, (512) 232-1067. Speaker: Paul Gottlieb, director of the School of Biological Sciences.
  • 1 p.m. — Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, Lyndon B. Johnson Auditorium. Contact: Courtney Brown (512) 471-8288. Speaker: Former President George H.W. Bush.
  • 2 p.m. — Department of English, College of Liberal Arts, Gregory Gymnasium. Contact: Ramona VanLoan (512) 471-4991. Speaker: William D. Broyles, founding editor of Texas Monthly, editor of Newsweek, creator of China Beach, screenwriter of Apollo 13 and Cast Away.
  • 3 p.m. — Center for Mexican American Studies, College of Liberal Arts, University Teaching Center 2.112A. Reception following ceremony. Contact: Jordana Barton (512) 471-2136. Speaker: Texas Sen. Judith Zaffirini.
  • 3 p.m. — School of Social Work (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Bass Concert Hall of the Performing Arts Center. Contact: Julie Cunniff (512) 471-0562. Student speakers.
  • 3:30 p.m. — School of Architecture (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Texas Union Ballroom 3.202. Reception in Goldsmith Building. Contact: Jeanne Crawford (512) 471-0109. No speaker.
  • 3:30 p.m. — School of Law, Erwin Center. Contact: Susana Alemán (512) 232-1313. Robert A. Estrada, member of the Board of Regents, The University of Texas.

For further information contact: Robert D. Meckel, Office of Public Affairs (512) 475-7847.

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