Inclement Weather Forecast Moves TAMIU Commencement Indoors
Spring Commencement Exercises will take place Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15 at Texas A&M International University in the Kinesiology-Convocation Building. Late developing weather forecasts for rain Friday and Saturday have prompted the traditional outdoors ceremonies to be moved indoors.
Dr. Pablo Arenaz, University Provost, said the decision to move the ceremonies is focused on the safety of all participants.
"While our outdoor graduations are a proud tradition, rain quickly saturates our grounds, creating an unsafe outdoor surface. Also, the ceremonies are fully exposed to the elements, with no suitable shelter for participants or audience members. For the sake of our graduates, their families and all the members of the extended University and Laredo community that will be on hand, we prefer to side with safety and move the ceremonies indoors," Dr. Arenaz said.
Friday’s ceremony, at 8 p.m., will feature candidates for graduation from the University’s A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business and the College of Education. Saturday’s ceremony, beginning at 9 a.m. will include candidates for graduation from the University’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Nursing and Health Sciences. 538 combined candidates for graduation are scheduled to participate in ceremonies, representing 12 countries.
Keynote speaker for Friday’s graduation will be Dr. Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, assistant secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education. The student response will be provided by Alejandra Lascurain.
Highlighting Friday's ceremony will be the awarding of four doctoral degrees in International Business to Jesus S. Carmona, Agustina Alicia Cavazos-Garza, Ruth Maria del Carmen Chatelain-Jardon and Eli Samuel Gonzalez Trejo. The first 15 MBA students that part of an international collaboration with Taiwan’s Fu Jen Catholic University will also graduate.
Saturday’s ceremonies at 9 a.m. will feature keynote remarks by Joe Arciniega, former technology executive and community theater advocate. The student respondent will be Jessica Cadena.
Meléndez de Santa Ana was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 24, 2009. In this position, she plays a pivotal role in policy and management issues affecting elementary and secondary education. She directs, coordinates and recommends policy for programs designed to assist state and local education agencies with improving the achievement of elementary and secondary school students.
Joe Arciniega is a former technology executive for Atari and Microsoft who returned his family to Laredo after 27 years in Los Angeles and Seattle including a technology career as a partner-level executive with Microsoft.
He is a founding member and Artistic Director of Laredo Theater Guild International and is on their Board of Directors. He is also a Board Member and on the Executive Council of the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra.
For more information, visit tamiu.edu/commencement or call the Office of the University Registrar at 326.2205.
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