USF Sarasota/Manatee
Commencement ceremonies full of celebration
Schroeder-Manatee CEO receives Distinguished Citizen
Award; several students honored
(Sarasota,
FL, December 18, 2001) – The University of South Florida
Sarasota/Manatee regional campus conducted its fall 2001 commencement
ceremony this evening, Tuesday, December 18, 7:00 p.m., at the Sarasota
Opera House. Of the
approximate 170 students earning undergraduate and graduate diplomas, 112
attended the ceremony. One
hundred undergraduate degrees were awarded; nine students graduated Magna
Cum Laude, three Summa Cum Laude, and 16 Cum Laude. Twelve
graduate degrees were awarded. An
estimated 30 percent of this graduating class earned their families’
first college degrees. Also, more than half of the graduates worked full-time while
attending USF Sarasota/Manatee.
Campus CEO
Dr. Laurey Stryker presided. “Commencement
is what we’re all about at USF Sarasota/Manatee.
We love celebrating the higher education achievements of local
residents,” Stryker says. “People
of all ages come to our campus to complete undergraduate degrees, go on to
earn graduate degrees, or take courses as non-degree seekers.
New programs are added regularly and we’re planning facility
expansion to accommodate a growing student population at this defining
moment for the campus.”
USF
President Dr. Judy Genshaft addressed students, family members and
friends. Dr. Genshaft also presented a Distinguished Citizen Award to
C. John Clarke, President and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee, developer of
Lakewood Ranch. The
Distinguished Citizen Award was
established
in 1974 and is given exclusively by the USF President.
Only 31 people had been so honored prior to the 2001 recipients.
Clarke became just the second Sarasota/Manatee resident to receive
the Distinguished Citizen Award. Brother
William Geenen of the Senior Friendship Center received it in 1995.
Other awards
given include:
·
Sarasota/Manatee Campus Outstanding
Senior from local chapter USF Alumni Association -- Brenda Green,
Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education
·
Kappa Delta Pi Outstanding
Education Graduate – Lynette Skala, Bachelor of Science in
Elementary Education, Cum Laude
·
Outstanding Bull – Todd
Gettings, Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
·
Outstanding Graduate – Michele
Brackett, Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems, Magna
Cum Laude
·
Golden Taurian and Outstanding
Leadership – Amit Sujanani, Bachelor of Arts in General
Business Administration and Management (dual major)
·
Outstanding Professor – Noel
Mark Noel, D.B.A., Marketing
The
commencement speaker was The Honorable Judge K. Doug Henderson.
Judge Henderson was elected
to office in 1994 after several years as an attorney in the Bradenton
area. In 1998, the Florida
Bar recognized him with the Judge of the Year Award.
He received his bachelor's
and master's degrees in criminal justice from the University of South
Florida, and his Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law. He is currently an adjunct professor of criminal law at USF
Sarasota/Manatee, and an active member of the community.
The
University of South Florida Sarasota/Manatee Campus offers 25 degree
programs for students to complete at the undergraduate and graduate
levels. Currently serving 2,500 students annually, the campus is
located at the Sarasota/Manatee County line on 140 acres, touching the
shoreline of Sarasota Bay and adjacent to the Sarasota/Bradenton
International Airport. It is
part of the University of South Florida, the second largest university in
the Southeast with more than 37,000 students, a Research I institution,
and one of the top 20 largest universities in the United States.
Click
here for details on two local residents' honors at the USF Tampa
campus commencement.
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Media contact: Ellen Wile (941) 359-4749;
e-mail ewile@banshee.sar.usf.edu
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