The nation’s deputy secretary of state, several corporate executives, a nationally recognized political strategist and a Texas entrepreneur/philanthropist are among the speakers scheduled for convocation ceremonies at The University of Texas at Austin May 20-22.
Convocations hosted by the various colleges, schools and departments are the ceremonies in which undergraduates and graduate students are recognized individually. The convocations have unique honors and traditions and provide photo opportunities for families and friends to capture special moments, such as the hooding of doctor’s and master’s degree students or of deans greeting graduates as they walk across the stage. Graduates this year will wear eco-friendly caps and gowns made of recycled materials.
Graduating students will join together on the South Mall of the Main Building for the 127th Spring Commencement ceremony on May 22, which begins with a carillon prelude at 7 p.m. and ends with a fireworks display and the traditional singing of “The Eyes of Texas.” Marcia Gay Harden, a University of Texas at Austin alumna who has received an Oscar, a Best Actress Tony Award and numerous other honors throughout her career, will be the speaker. The event celebrates the graduation of about 7,800 students this spring.
Convocation speakers for individual ceremonies May 21 and May 22 hosted by the various colleges, schools and departments include: Red McCombs, chairman/founder of McCombs Enterprises; James B. Steinberg, deputy secretary of state in the U.S. Department of State; Frank Bennack, vice chairman and chief executive officer of The Hearst Corporation; political strategist Paul Begala; Milton Lee, chief executive officer of CPS Energy; several university professors and William Powers Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin.
The convocation speakers for ceremonies hosted by the various colleges, schools, departments and other groups are listed below. More convocation schedule information is available online.
Thursday, May 20
- 11 a.m. – Department of Naval Science, Navy ROTC Commissioning Ceremony (by invitation) in the Senate Chambers of the Texas Capitol. Speaker: Rear Admiral William F. Moran, commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group.
Friday, May 21
- 8:30 a.m. – College of Pharmacy, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speaker: Dr. Larry Ereshefsky, former professor of pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin and now vice president and principal clinical pharmacologist of PAREXEL International and chief scientific officer of California Clinical Trials.
- 9 a.m. – Department of Air Force Science, Air Force ROTC Commissioning Ceremony (by invitation), in the Texas Union Theater. Speaker: Col. Christopher W. Bowman, United States Air Force, commander, Detachment 825 and professor of aerospace studies.
- 9 a.m. – Department of Military Science, Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony (by invitation), in the Senate Chamber of the Texas State Capitol. Speaker: Col. Matthew H. Russell, senior adviser, Infrastructure, for the Peacekeeping Stability Operations Institute, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
- 9 a.m. – McCombs School of Business (undergraduate ceremony), Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: J. Marc Myers, co-founder of Myers and Crow Company.
- 9 a.m. – Department of Government (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), College of Liberal Arts, Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Elizabeth K. Julian, president of the Inclusive Communities Project, a non-profit organization in Dallas that works for the creation and maintenance of racially and economically inclusive communities through advocacy and education.
- Noon – College of Education, Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Beth Maloch, associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
- Noon – College of Liberal Arts joint convocation, Frank Erwin Center (Note: Departments of Economics, Center for Mexican American Studies, English, Government, History, Plan II and Psychology hold separate ceremonies at other times and locations on campus as noted in this list.) Speaker: Julius Glickman, managing partner of Glickman, Carter, and Bachynsky.
- Noon – School of Nursing (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speaker: Dr. Cheryl L. Perry, professor and regional dean, and the Rockwell Distinguished Chair in Society and Health at The University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus.
- 3 p.m. – Joint Commissioning Ceremony, Bates Recital Hall. Speaker: Lt. Gen. David P. Fridovich, director, Center for Special Operations, United States Special Operations Command.
- 3 p.m. – College of Communication, Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Frank Bennack, vice chairman and CEO of The Hearst Corporation.
- 3 p.m. – Master in Professional Accounting Recognition Ceremony, Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Elizabeth Henke Yant, a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Houston.
- 3 p.m. – College of Fine Arts, Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speaker: Leonard Lehrer, educator, artist and director of the Printmaking Convergence Program at The University of Texas at Austin.
- 6 p.m. – Department of History, College of Liberal Arts (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), in Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speaker: Bryant Ragan, chair of the Department of History at Colorado College.
- 6 p.m. – Master of Business Administration Recognition Ceremony, Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Red McCombs, chairman/founder of McCombs Enterprises.
- 7 p.m. – Cockrell School of Engineering (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Milton Lee, chief executive officer of CPS Energy.
Saturday, May 22
- 8 a.m. – College of Natural Sciences (all majors except the School of Biological Sciences and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry), Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Andy Greenawalt, retired information technology vice president and group CIO at Dell Computer Corp., who serves on two advisory councils at The University of Texas at Austin.
- 9 a.m. – Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Dr. Lewis Mandell, senior fellow at the Aspen Institute and the Kermit O. Hanson Visiting Professor of Finance and Managerial Economics at the University of Washington.
- 9 a.m. – Graduate School (master’s degree candidates), in Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speaker: Dr. Victoria Rodriguez, vice provost and dean of Graduate Studies.
- 9 a.m. – Plan II Honors Program, College of Liberal Arts, Hogg Auditorium (tickets required). Speaker: Dr. James G. Scott, assistant professor in the Department of Information, Risk and Operations Management, McCombs School of Business.
- 10 a.m. – Center for Mexican American Studies (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), College of Liberal Arts, Bates Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speaker: Dr. Charles Roeckle, deputy to the president of The University of Texas at Austin.
- 11 a.m. – Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, LBJ Auditorium. Speaker: James B. Steinberg, deputy secretary of state in the U.S. Department of State.
- Noon – School of Biological Sciences and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Andy Greenawalt, retired information technology vice president and group CIO at Dell Computer Corp., who serves on two advisory councils at The University of Texas at Austin.
- Noon – Master of Science in Technology Commercialization, IC² Institute, Amphitheatre of ATandT Executive Education Conference Center. Speaker: Dr. Thomas W Gilligan, dean of the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
- Noon – Graduate School (doctor’s degree candidates), Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speakers: William Powers Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin, and Dr. Victoria Rodriguez, vice provost and dean of Graduate Studies.
- 12:30 p.m. – Department of English, College of Liberal Arts (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Gregory Gymnasium. Speakers: Oscar Casares, assistant professor in the Department of English, College of Liberal Arts.
- 3 p.m. – School of Architecture (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Hogg Auditorium. Speaker: Hal Box, professor emeritus and former dean (1976-1992) of the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin.
- 3 p.m. – School of Information, Amphitheatre of ATandT Executive Education Conference Center. Speaker: Mark K. Updegrove, director of the LBJ Library and Museum.
- 3 p.m. – Jackson School of Geosciences (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Bates Recital Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speaker: Gary Guller, record-setting mountaineer who in 2003 led the largest ever cross-disability group to reach Mt. Everest Base Camp at 17,500 feet. In May 2003, he became the first person with one arm to reach the summit of Mt. Everest.
- 3 p.m. – School of Social Work, (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), Bass Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. Speakers are two members of the graduating classes who were chosen by their peers: Graduate student Paula Christine Buls and undergraduate student Kathryn Ann Wegler.
- 3:30 p.m. – School of Law, Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Paul Begala, political strategist, a research professor at Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute and the Carl Sanders Distinguished Scholar in Political Leadership at the University of Georgia School of Law.
- 3:30 p.m. – Department of Psychology, (ceremony includes graduate and undergraduate students), College of Liberal Arts, Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Kim Fromme, professor of psychology and director of the Studies on Alcohol, Health and Risky Activities Laboratory.
For more information on 2010 Spring Commencement, including the university-wide ceremony, visit the commencement Web site.
