AUSTIN, Texas—Liz Carpenter, who served as press secretary and chief of staff for Lady Bird Johnson when Lyndon B. Johnson was president of the United States, and Cyndi Taylor Krier, vice chairman of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System, will be among keynote speakers during fall convocation 2006 ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10, honoring graduating students at The University of Texas at Austin.
The fall semester’s approximately 3,300 graduates will include about 2,500 undergraduates, 30 law students and 775 graduate and doctor’s degree recipients.
William Powers Jr., president of the university, also will be a speaker. He is scheduled to provide remarks during the Graduate Studies convocation at 9 a.m. Saturday in Bass Concert Hall.
“I congratulate the graduates and offer my sincere appreciation to their parents, friends and family members for instilling perseverance and spirit into these extraordinary students,” Powers said.
Convocation ceremonies, hosted by the various colleges and schools, are occasions when these components celebrate their graduates’ achievements with individualized honors and traditions. The convocations provide photo opportunities for candidates’ families to capture moments such as the hooding of doctor’s and master’s students or a dean shaking students’ hands as their names are called and they walk across the stage. More information about convocation programs is available online.
Fall graduation activities do not include a university-wide commencement ceremony.
In honor of graduating students receiving their degrees the university’s Tower will be lighted orange with “06” displayed on all sides of building windows on Saturday and Sunday.
The convocation activities include:
Saturday, Dec. 9
- 9 a.m. – College of Engineering (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Dr. Hector de J. Ruiz, chairman and CEO of Advanced Micro Devices.
- 9 a.m. – Graduate Studies (doctor’s and master’s degree candidates), Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speaker: William Powers Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin.
- 9 a.m. – School of Nursing, Hogg Auditorium. Speaker: Eduardo J. Sanchez, M.D., MPH, professor and director of the Institute for Health Policy at The University of Texas School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
- Noon – College of Education, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speaker: Hector De Leon, founder and managing partner of De Leon, Boggins and Icenogle, P.C.
- Noon – School of Social Work, Hogg Auditorium. Speaker: Cecilia Ann Allen, a student receiving her bachelor of social work degree.
- Noon – School of Information (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Jessen Auditorium, Homer Rainey Hall. Speaker: Claudia Chidester, director of The Fontaine Archive and former director of research at Austin Ventures.
- 12:30 p.m. – College of Communication (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Cyndi Taylor Krier, vice chairman of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System.
- 1 p.m. – Jackson School of Geosciences (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Don R. Boyd Auditorium, Jackson Geological Sciences Building (GEO 2.324). Speaker: Dr. Omar Ghattas, the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson Chair in Computational Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin.
- 3 p.m. – College of Fine Arts, Hogg Auditorium. Speaker: Robert A. Duke, the Marlene and Morton Meyerson Centennial Professor in Music and Distinguished Teaching Professor, The University of Texas at Austin.
- 6 p.m. – College of Liberal Arts, Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Liz Carpenter, who served as press secretary and chief of staff for Lady Bird Johnson when Lyndon B. Johnson was president of the United States.
- 7 p.m. – School of Architecture (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Goldsmith Hall Gallery. Speaker: Frederick Steiner, dean of the School of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin.
Sunday, Dec. 10
- 10 a.m. – McCombs School of Business (undergraduate ceremony), Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Steve James, COO of Accenture in Dallas.
- 2:30 p.m. – College of Natural Sciences, Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Dr. Kenneth D. Wells, Corporate Medical Advisor, El Paso Corporation.
Parking for commencement activities is free in designated areas on a first come, first served basis. On Saturday, Dec. 9 and Sunday, Dec. 10, with the exception of spaces marked “At All Times,” all university parking garages and most surface lots are available.
Parking garages are located as follows:
- San Jacinto Garage (SJG) – east side of San Jacinto Boulevard north of 24th Street.
- Brazos Garage (BRG) – northeast corner of Brazos Street and Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Boulevard.
- Twenty-seventh Street Garage (TSG) – southeast corner of 27th Street and University Avenue.
- Manor Garage (MAG) – southeast corner of Robert Dedman Drive and Clyde Littlefield Drive.
- Speedway Garage (SWG) – southwest corner of Speedway and 27th Street.
- Trinity Garage (TRG) – southeast corner of Trinity Street and Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Boulevard.
More parking information is available online.
For more information contact: Robert D. Meckel, administrative communications, Office of Public Affairs, 512-475-7847.
