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Posted: 12/06/07

TAMIU Fall Commencement Dec. 15 at LEC

 

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Texas A&M International University’s Fall 2007 Commencement will take place Saturday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Laredo Entertainment Center (LEC).

Over 550 candidates for graduation are scheduled to participate.

Commencement guest speaker will be Diane Auer Jones, assistant secretary for Postsecondary Education, US Department of Education.

Jones is principal advisor to the secretary on all departmental matters related to post secondary education and her office administers numerous federal programs that supports higher education nationwide. She was nominated by President George W. Bush as assistant secretary for postsecondary education on May 22, 2007 and confirmed by the Senate Aug. 1, 2007.

Before coming to the Department of Education, Jones, a molecular biologist, was Associate Director for Science in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President. She previously served as Director of the Office of Government Affairs at Princeton University.

A former Program Director in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation and associate professor at the Community College of Baltimore County, Jones is past Chair of the Intellectual Property Working Group within the Council on Federal Relations for the American Association of Universities.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Salisbury State University and her Master’s degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

In addition to her work in academia and government, she founded and owned a gourmet and natural foods store for seven years, a multi-practitioner health care center and was a founding co-owner of an environmental biotechnology company, AthenasES.

Rehearsal for Commencement starts Saturday, Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. at the LEC. Visit tamiu.edu/commencement for more information.

Candidates must be lined up no later than 6 p.m. in the designated areas of the LEC.

This will be TAMIU’s first Commencement at the Laredo Entertainment Center. Ceremonies were moved to the LEC to provide a higher measure of safety and the most comfortable graduation experience for graduates, their families and guests.

In recent years, crowds that attend the University’s outdoor graduation have exceeded 5,000 people. The average graduate has 11 family members and/or friends attending the ceremony.

For more information, please contact an advisor at the Office of the University Registrar at 326.2205.

University office hours are from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.


Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu