Inside Iowa State

April 28, 2006

Spring commencement is May 5-6

by Anne Krapfl

An estimated 3,224 students will receive degrees from Iowa State during spring commencement events May 5-6.

The ceremony for master's and doctoral students begins at 8 p.m. Friday, May 5, in Stephens Auditorium. An estimated 437 students (95 Ph.D. and 342 master's candidates) will be honored.

University Professor of food science and human nutrition Pam White will give the address. For two years, White served as interim dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and, after a July 1, 2005, college merger, the new College of Human Sciences for several months. In her research, she works with corn, oats and soybeans to manipulate and evaluate starch, oil and soluble fiber composition.

DVMs

The College of Veterinary Medicine expects to confer 106 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees during a noon ceremony Saturday, May 6, also in Stephens.

Dr. Beth Lautner, who recently resigned as director of the federal Plum Island (New York) Animal Disease Facility, will give the address. A resident of Johnston, Lautner also served as vice president of science and technology for the National Pork Board, Clive (2001-04).

Undergraduates

At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, the undergraduate commencement ceremony will begin in Hilton, where 2,681 students are expected to receive bachelor's degrees. ISU alumnus Vance Coffman will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the university and address the graduates.

Coffman, who received a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State in 1967, is the retired chairman of the board and chief executive officer of aerospace manufacturing giant Lockheed Martin Corp. He joined Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. as an entry-level engineer in 1967 and worked his way to executive vice president by 1988. Following the company's merger with Martin Marietta in 1995, he became president of the new company in 1996 and chairman and CEO in 1998.

Tickets are not required for any of the ceremonies.

Colleges also will honor their graduating students at ceremonies and receptions.

Spring 2006 graduation schedule

Friday, May 5

• 4 and 5:30 p.m., College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, awards ceremonies recognizing undergraduate students graduating with honors or distinction, Fisher Theater, 4-7742.
• 4:30 p.m., College of Human Sciences, ceremony for undergraduate students, Stephens Auditorium (6 p.m. reception for undergraduate and graduate students, first floor lobby, Scheman), 4-7002.
• 5 p.m., College of Business, ceremony for undergraduate and graduate students, Hilton, 4-8430.
• 5:30-7 p.m., College of Engineering, informal ceremony and reception for graduate students, 220 Scheman, 4-5933.
• 8 p.m., Commencement, for master's and doctoral students, speaker Pamela White, ISU food science and human nutrition, Stephens, tickets not required, 4-9372.

Saturday, May 6

• 8 a.m., College of Agriculture, reception for undergraduate students (9 a.m. ceremony), Stephens, 4-2766.
• 9-10:30 a.m., College of Engineering, receptions and recognition programs for undergraduate students (by department), Scheman locales, Fisher Theater, Hilton, Knapp-Storms dining complex and Hoover Hall auditorium, 4-5933.
• 9:30 a.m., College of Design, reception for undergraduate and graduate students (10 a.m. ceremony), Lightfoot Forum, College of Design, 4-7428.
• Noon, Commencement, College of Veterinary Medicine, for D.V.M. graduates, speaker Beth Lautner, D.V.M., former director of Plum Island (New York) Animal Disease Center, Stephens, tickets not required, 4-0772.
• 1:30 p.m., Commencement, for undergraduate students in all colleges, speaker Vance Coffman, retired CEO, Lockheed Martin Corp., Hilton, tickets not required, 4-9372.

More than 3,000 students are expected to receive an Iowa State degree this spring, with commencement events held Friday and Saturday, May 5-6.