Sonoma State University holds its 44th annual commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 28 in an event that historically draws more than 10,000 people to Commencement Lawn on the Rohnert Park campus. Of the approximately 2,100 SSU students eligible to graduate, about 1,500 are expected to participate.
The ceremonies are scheduled at 10 a.m. for the School of Arts and Humanities, School of Business and Economics, and the School of Education and 3 p.m. for the School of Science and Technology and the School of Social Sciences. The ceremonies will be web cast from http://streaming.sonoma.edu.
International flags will be flown during the ceremonies to honor the students from around the world who came to study at Sonoma State this year. Nations that will be recognized include Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Japan, Myanmar, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the Ukraine.
Keynote speaker for both the morning and afternoon ceremony is Dr. Rand Link, Vice President for Student Affairs. Link has served as an administrator at Sonoma State University since 1970, and is retiring in August of 2005 after 35 years of outstanding leadership and contributionsto the campus.
SSU will also honor Santa Rosa Symphony Director Jeffery Kahane with a Doctor of Fine Arts degree. Kahane is an acclaimed symphony conductor, piano soloist and chamber musician, as well as the artistic director of SSU's Green Music Festival.
Student speakers at the commencement include Christopher Fadeff, who is graduating with a bachelor's degree in Economics, and Deanna Chase, who has earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology.
Excellence in Teaching Awards will go to Physics and Astronomy professor Bryant Hichwa and Chicano and Latino Studies professor Elizabeth Coonrod Martinez.
Staff Excellence Awards go to Thomas Cooper, advisor for the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies, and Erica Wilcher, operations analyst in the School of Social Sciences.
Reservations and tickets are not needed to attend Commencement 2005 and the public is invited to attend. Parking is free in all areas. The campusis located at 1801 E. Cotati Ave. in Rohnert Park.
For further information see the Commencement 2005 Web site at www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/commencement/
