May 12, 2010

Media Advisory -- Commencement

Reporters, photographers and camera crews are welcome to cover this week’s graduation ceremonies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. More than 3,400 professional, graduate and undergraduate students are candidates for degrees.

Many times out-of-town guests turn to local media outlets to confirm commencement schedules. We would appreciate your help in sharing this schedule with your audiences. Graduation ceremonies are open to the public, and tickets are not required.

Friday, May 14

Graduate School

5 p.m. -- Student Recreation Center. Traditionally, there is no guest speaker for the program.

College of Agricultural Sciences

7:30 p.m. -- Shryock Auditorium

Jacob “Jake” Rendleman, a longtime educator and a trustee on the Illinois Community College Board, will give the address and receive the Alumni Achievement Award. Rendleman serves on the John A. Logan College Board and also on the Carterville City Council.

College of Business

7:30 p.m. -- Student Recreation Center

Rick E. Winningham, chief executive officer of Theravance, Inc., in South San Francisco, will give the address and receive the Alumni Achievement Award. Winningham, a graduate of Arthur High School, was to give last year’s commencement speech but the May 8 wind storm disrupted the college’s ceremony.

Saturday, May 15

College of Education and Human Services

8 a.m. -- Shryock Auditorium. This is the first of two ceremonies.

Ceremonies for majors in health education, recreation, athletic training, exercise science and physical fitness, sport administration, physical education teacher education, communication disorders and sciences, rehabilitation services, social work, and workforce education and development. Robert L. “Rob” Lyerla, who works for the National Institutes of Health as acting director of the Division of International Relations at the Fogarty International Center, will give the address for both COEHS commencement ceremonies and receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

10:30 a.m. -- Shryock Auditorium

Ceremonies for majors in art education, biological sciences education, early childhood education, elementary education, English education, French education, German studies education, history education, mathematics education, Spanish education, social science education, and special education.

College of Liberal Arts

8 a.m. -- Student Recreation Center. This is the first of two ceremonies.

Ceremonies for majors in anthropology, art and design, criminology and criminal justice, economics, English, foreign languages and literatures, geography and environmental resources, history, linguistics, mathematics and music.

10:30 a.m. -- Student Recreation Center

Ceremonies for majors in paralegal studies, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, speech communication, theater and University studies.

College of Mass Communication and Media Arts

1 p.m. -- Shryock Auditorium

John Downing, retiring director of SlUC’s Global Media Research Center, and a professor of media studies in the Department of Radio-Television, will give the address.

College of Applied Sciences and Arts

1 p.m. -- Student Recreation Center. This is the first of two ceremonies.

Ceremonies for majors in architectural studies, fashion design and merchandising, interior design, automotive technology, aviation flight, aviation management, and aviation technologies. Gregory R. Wellman, national director of aviation planning and vice president for Chicago-based HNTB Corp., one of the world’s largest engineering/architectural consulting firms, will give the address for both commencement ceremonies and receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

3:30 p.m. -- Student Recreation Center

Ceremonies for majors in dental hygiene, health care management, mortuary science and funeral service, radiologic sciences, physical therapist assistant, electronic systems technologies, fire service management, information systems technologies, and technical resource management.

College of Science

3:30 p.m. -- Shryock Auditorium

Dr. Larry R. Jones, president of Harrisburg-based Primary Care Group, will give the address and receive the Alumni Achievement Award. Jones is also medical director and founder of the Bridge Free Medical Clinic in Harrisburg.

School of Law

6 p.m. -- Shryock Auditorium

Gary Grindler, acting deputy attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice, will give the address, and William E. Holdridge, presiding justice of the Third District Illinois Appellate Court, will receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

College of Engineering

6 p.m. -- Student Recreation Center

Suneel Kodambaka, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), will give the address and receive the Alumni Achievement Award.