KNOXVILLE — Gov. Phil Bredesen will give the keynote address at the University of Tennessee’s spring commencement ceremony. The university-wide ceremony is set for 8:30 a.m., Friday, May 12, at the Thompson-Boling Arena.
Since taking office in 2003 Bredesen has focused on improving education through teacher pay raises and expanding Tennessee’s pre-kindergarten program. His work also enhanced UT’s Distinguished Scientist program, now known as the Governor’s Chair. For the second year in a row, the state has pledged dedicated funds to recruit the best faculty from around the nation and the world to manage UT’s joint institutes with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The positions substantially enhance UT’s academic profile and the state’s research and economic development initiatives.
Bredesen also has concentrated on rebuilding TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicare expansion program, as well as controlling and eliminating methamphetamine production and abuse.
A New York native and Harvard graduate, Bredesen is a long-time resident of Nashville where he was mayor from 1991-1999. Before pursuing a career in public office, Bredesen was a healthcare entrepreneur. He opened HealthAmerica Corp., a Nashville based healthcare management company, in 1980, which he sold in 1986.
In addition to the university-wide ceremony, individual college ceremonies will be held Thursday, May 11, and Friday, May 12.
–Honors program: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 11, Alumni Memorial Auditorium. Contact Mary Ann Bright (865)974-7875 for more information.
–Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources: 11 a.m. Friday, May 12, Knoxville Convention Center, Exhibit Hall B. Call (865)974-7303 or visit http://casnr.tennessee.edu/forms/commencementreg.htm for more information.
–Architecture and Design: Hooding Ceremony for undergraduate and graduate students 4 p.m. Thursday, May 11, Clarence Brown Theater. Call (865)974-5265 for more information.
–Arts and Sciences: 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 12, Thompson Boling Assembly Center and Arena. Call (865)974-4377 or visit http://www.artsci.utk.edu/commencement_rsvp_submission_for.htm for more information.
–Audiology and Speech Pathology: Ceremony for students receiving an M.A. in speech pathology, Au.D in audiology, Ph.D in speech and hearing science and undergraduates in audiology and speech pathology 11 a.m. Thursday, May 11, Alumni Memorial Auditorium. Contact aspweb@utk.edu for more information.
–Business Administration: 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 12, Thompson-Boling Arena. Call (865)974-5096 or visit http://bus.utk.edu/undergrad for more information.
–Communication and Information: 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 12, Knoxville Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A. Call (865) 974-3031 or visit http://www.cci.utk.edu/commencement.php for more information.
–Education, Health & Human Sciences: 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 12, Knoxville Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A. Call (865) 974-5063 or visit http://web.utk.edu/~cehhsstu/Graduation/ for more information.
–Engineering: 3 p.m. Friday, May 12, Knoxville Convention Center, Exhibit Hall B. Call (865)974-2454 or visit http://www.engr.utk.edu/coe/rsvp.htm for more information.
–Nursing: Convocation ceremony for undergraduate and graduate students 3 p.m. Thursday, May 11, at Thompson-Boling Arena. Call (865)974-7583 for more information.
–Social Work: Ph.D, M.S.S.W. hooding and B.S.S.W. special recognition, noon Friday, May 12, at Alumni Memorial Building Auditorium. Call (865) 974-3353.
A graduate student hooding ceremony will be held at 6 p.m., May 11, at Thompson-Boling Arena. Graduate degrees will be awarded to all master’s, specialists in education and doctoral candidates.
Parking for the university-wide commencement ceremony is available in student parking areas throughout campus and on the top level of the administrative parking garage (staff lot 30). Staff that park on this level are asked to relocate to the G-4 garage or to staff 9. Disabled parking for Thompson-Boling Arena is available in the Neyland Drive Garage (G-10). For a campus parking map, visit http://www.utk.edu/maps/campus
Campus shuttles also will run from the Agriculture campus to Thompson-Boling Arena and on to the Knoxville Convention Center. For complete shuttle details, visit http://web.utk.edu/~pso/
For more information on the general commencement ceremony call the UT Registrar’s office at (865)974-2101 or visit http://registrar.tennessee.edu/graduation/commencement.shtml
For more information on the graduate student hooding ceremony call the UT Office of Graduate Studies at (865) 974-2475 or visit http://gradstudies.utk.edu/gradhooding.shtml
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Contact:
Beth Gladden (865 974-9008, beth.gladden@tennessee.edu