TWU Schedules Winter Commencement

12/2/03

DENTON — Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn will address Texas Woman’s University graduates during the noon commencement ceremony Saturday, Dec. 13 on TWU’s Denton campus.

The Denton ceremonies, which include graduates from the Denton and Dallas campuses, are scheduled at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. in the Kitty Magee Arena in Pioneer Hall, located on Bell Avenue. Students and family members who have tickets are invited to attend.

Dr. Cecilia May Moreno, a 2003 TWU Distinguished Alumna, will give the commencement address during the 9 a.m. ceremony. The Honorable Maryellen Hicks, the first African-American woman to serve on the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth, is the speaker for the 3 p.m. ceremony.

TWU’s Houston commencement is scheduled Sunday, Dec. 14.

TWU Chancellor Dr. Ann Stuart will preside at each ceremony, which includes an academic procession, conferring of degrees and a commencement address.

Approximately 429 undergraduate and 336 graduate degrees will be awarded.

Times for commencement reflect candidate assignments based on specific schools and colleges participating in the ceremonies listed below. Receptions for each ceremony will follow on the second floor of the Student Center, located at Bell Avenue and Administration Drive. As a special treat for children, a holiday activity room featuring games, videos and popcorn will be open in the Student Center. The room will be open during receptions only.

• 9 a.m. — Ceremony I for candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences. A reception will follow from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

• Noon — Ceremony II for candidates from the College of Health Sciences, the College of Nursing and the School of Occupational Therapy. A reception will follow from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

• 3 p.m. — Ceremony III for candidates from the College of Professional Education and the School of Management. A reception will follow from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Dr. Moreno has been employed with the Laredo Independent School District for 37 years, beginning as a teacher and currently serving as executive director for Construction Planning and Asset Management. She served on the Laredo City Council for 10 years, and formerly served as mayor pro-tem for the city.

Dr. Moreno currently serves on the board of trustees for the Teachers Retirement System of Texas and is a member of the National Council on Teacher Retirement. She was the first woman and the first Hispanic to serve as chairperson for the Texas Municipal Group Benefits Risk Pool Board. She is a member of the Laredo Commission for Women Hall of Fame and the LULAC Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame.

Dr. Moreno received her bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation from TWU in 1966, and her master’s in 1968. She holds a master of business administration degree from Laredo State University, and earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Texas A&M University.

Comptroller Strayhorn was the first woman in history elected as Texas Comptroller. A former schoolteacher, she was the first female president of the Austin School Board and was the first female president of the Austin Community College Board of Trustees. She was the first woman elected mayor of Austin, and the only mayor elected to three terms. She also was the first woman in history elected and re-elected to the Texas Railroad Commission.

She was re-elected Comptroller in 2002 with the highest vote total of any winning Republican in the nation. This year, she received the University of Texas at Austin Distinguished Alumnus Award. She also received the Outstanding Conservative Award from the Conservative Alliance of Texas Tech and College Republicans of Texas Tech, and was the recipient of the Texas Teacher Association’s “Friend of Education” Award.

Comptroller Strayhorn also was selected as the first “Friend of Texas Taxpayers” Award by Citizens for a Sound Economy.

Judge Hicks currently serves as a visiting judge for the State of Texas and is a mediator in private practice. She has served as president of the Black Women Lawyers of Tarrant County and the Fort Worth Black Bar Association. She also is a former director of the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas.

In addition to her professional activities, Judge Hicks has been a leading member of many philanthropic organizations, including the Campaign for Human Development and the AIDS Outreach Center. She was a founder of the African-American Summit for Peace, Justice and Equality, which was organized in 1992 as a response to the 1991 riots in Los Angeles. She has hosted “Speak Out,” a talk show on KKDA radio, for more than 12 years.

Judge Hicks earned her bachelor’s degree in government from TWU in 1970, and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna by the university in 1989. She was the first African-American graduate of the Texas Tech School of Law, where she received her juris doctorate degree. That university named her an outstanding alumnus in 2001.

The Houston ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, in the ballroom of the George R. Brown Convention Center. Kathy Williams, vice president and news director for KRIV-TV in Houston, will be the commencement speaker. Williams is a 1997 Distinguished Alumna of TWU.

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For Further Information Contact:

Karen Treat
Senior Copywriter
Tel: (940) 898-3456
e-mail: ktreat@twu.edu