MU to Award 2,085 Degrees at December 2007 Commencement Ceremonies
Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities to receive Honorary Degree
Dec. 7, 2007
Story Contact: Christian Basi, (573) 882-4430, BasiC@missouri.edu
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri will present 2,085 degrees to graduates during the annual Winter Commencement Ceremonies next weekend, Friday, Dec. 14 through Sunday, Dec. 16.
“We are pleased to know that these well-educated graduates whom we admitted to MU a few years ago will now be joining 239,000 other Mizzou alumni to help make the world a better place,” said Ann Korschgen, vice provost for enrollment at MU.
An honorary degree will be awarded to Bruce Cole, the eighth chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Cole is the author of 14 books, many about the Renaissance. His most recent book is The Informed Eye: Understanding Masterpieces of Western Art. As NEH chairmen, Cole founded We the People, an initiative which encourages the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture. The honorary degree will be awarded during the Graduate School’s commencement ceremony at 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14 at the Hearnes Center.
Each MU school and college will hold an individual commencement ceremony, many featuring guest speakers. Speakers featured at this year’s ceremonies include:
• John Anderson, anchor on ESPN’s SportsCenter, will speak at the School of Journalism’s commencement ceremony.
• Brandon K. Mann, senior vice president of Colliers Corporate Solutions, will speak at the Trulaske College of Business Commencement.
• Lisa Allen, a Missouri state forester, will speak at the School of Natural Resources commencement.
At the 15 ceremonies, 1,409 students will receive bachelor’s degrees, 653 students will receive graduate degrees and 23 students will receive professional degrees.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: A detailed schedule of events and biographical information on Cole are attached. For more information on the commencement ceremonies, graduation traditions and Columbia accommodations, please visit http://web.missouri.edu/~umcenrollgrads/fallcer. The Schools of Law, Medicine, Health Professions and the College of Veterinary Medicines do not hold December graduation ceremonies. All students from those academic units participate in the May ceremonies. Students in the School of Social Work will participate in the College of Human Environmental Sciences ceremony.
Schedule of December Commencement Ceremonies
University of Missouri
Friday, December 14
SINCLAIR SCHOOL OF NURSING
1 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, Jesse Hall
Speakers: Alexandra Fey-Synder, BSN candidate; Nancy Stitzer, RN and BSN candidate; and Lori Popejoy, PhD candidate
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
3:30 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, Jesse Hall
Speaker: Michael Middleton, MU deputy chancellor
TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
4:30 p.m., Hearnes Center
Speaker: Brandon K. Mann, senior vice president of Colliers Corporate Solutions
SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM
6 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, Jesse Hall
Speaker: John Anderson, anchor, SportsCenter on ESPN
GRADUATE SCHOOL
8 p.m., Hearnes Center
Speaker: Bruce Cole, honorary degree recipient
Saturday, December 15
SCHOOL OF NATURAL RESOURCES
11:30 a.m., Jesse Auditorium, Jesse Hall
Speaker: Lisa Allen, Missouri State Forester
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCE
12:30 p.m., Hearnes Center
Speaker: Francisco Gomez, assistant professor of geological sciences
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
2 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, Jesse Hall
Speaker: Rear Admiral Albert Garcia
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND NATURAL RESOURCES
3 p.m., Hearnes Center
Speaker: Jim Spain, vice provost for undergraduate studies at MU
COLLEGE OF HUMAN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
4:30 p.m., Jesse Auditorium, Jesse Hall
Sunday, December 16
ROTC COMMISSIONING OF OFFICERS
*This event recognizes ROTC officers who are graduating and who are receiving a commission in the U.S. Armed Forces.
1:30 p.m., Stotler Lounge, Memorial Union
Honorary Degree Recipient—Bruce Cole
Bruce Cole is the eighth chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
Cole first came to the Endowment in December of 2001 after serving as a distinguished professor of Art History and professor of Comparative Literature at Indiana University in Bloomington. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Cole to his first term as chairman and appointed Cole again in 2005. Congress unanimously approved both appointments.
Cole’s connection with the Endowment began with an NEH fellowship to research early Florentine painting. After his fellowship, Cole served as a panelist in NEH’s peer review system and as a member of the National Council on the Humanities, also a position appointed by the President.
As NEH Chairman, Cole was instrumental in launching We the People, an initiative which encourages the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture. The initiative includes summer seminars at national historic landmarks to encourage teachers’ knowledge of American history.
We the People also initiated a partnership with the Library of Congress to catalogue and digitize the story of the American past as told through America’s historic newspapers. After the project’s completion, more than 30 million pages of historic newspapers will be available to students and teachers via the internet.
Born in Ohio and a graduate of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Cole received his master’s degree from Oberlin College and his doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. He served as the William E. Suida Fellow at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florence. He has received numerous fellowships and grants ranging from the Guggenheim Foundation to the Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Cole is the author of 14 books, many about the Renaissance. His most recent book is The Informed Eye: Understanding Masterpieces of Western Art.
He and his wife Doreen live in the District of Columbia and have two grown children.