USF Sarasota-Manatee to confer 202 degrees at CEO’s final Fall Commencement

 

SARASOTA, FL (December 14, 2006) – Graduation is historically a time of reflection, a time to look to the future, and a day to remember.  It is a time of new beginnings and sad goodbyes.

 

This Sunday, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee will confer degrees upon 202 students, and Dr. Laurey Stryker will attend her last commencement ceremony as Campus CEO. 

 

Almost 2,000 people are expected to attend the Fall 2006 commencement ceremony for the regional campus – to be held on December 17, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. at the Sarasota-Bradenton Convention Center located at 8005 15^th Street East near the SRQ airport.

 

Stryker will be retiring at the end of 2006 from the campus for which she brought dramatic changes and growth.  When Stryker began her tenure in October of 2000, the campus had 19 programs, 2,000 students per year, and a shared location with New College.  USF Sarasota-Manatee now has 39 programs, 3,500 students annually, and a new three-story, $26.5 million building that has the capacity to serve over 5,000 students. 

 

“This is a day for us all to look to the future,” Stryker said.  “Just as the graduating students are redefining themselves by earning degrees, this campus is defining itself as an indispensable asset for the economic future of this region.”

 

USF President Dr. Judy Genshaft will preside over the commencement ceremonies on Sunday. She will be presenting the prestigious Presidential Distinguished Citizen Award to Dr. Sarah H. Pappas, president of Manatee Community College (MCC). Pappas has many years of service to the community and is an alumna of the University of South Florida.  

 

With Stryker, Pappas has been instrumental in the creation and continued success of the “2 + 2 Program”—an agreement between MCC and USF Sarasota-Manatee that streamlines the transfer process for college students who take freshman and sophomore level classes at MCC and then finish their junior and senior years at USF Sarasota-Manatee.  

 

The keynote speaker at this year’s commencement is another long-time friend of the university and an alumna – Pat Glass.  Glass’ public career spans three decades as a leader in aging, social services and as a Manatee County Commissioner.  Her vision led to the acquisition of the Crosley Estate by the County and USF where the campus now stands.

 

This fall, 34 master’s degree candidates will receive graduate degrees mostly in business administration, nursing, rehabilitation and mental health counseling, library and information sciences, public administration, reading education, adult education, elementary education, special education, and educational leadership.  Twenty-five master’s degrees are being conferred in the College of Education alone—the largest to date for that academic college. 

 

“When you prepare the next generation of principals and assistant principals, you’ve changed whole schools affecting thousands of students,” Stryker said.   

 

Twenty-six USF Sarasota-Manatee students are graduating with honors, representing 16% of the campus graduates.  A special honoree is graduate Kristy Margarita Williams, who will receive the Golden Bull Award for outstanding service to USF and the surrounding communities. 

 

Williams, who is expecting a child in January, will receive her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education (K-6).  While juggling her coursework and family life, Williams found time to be involved with the Circle K International Club, Student Reading Council, and Project Rainbow on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus.

 

“I have such a passion for working with children and can’t wait to start teaching,” Williams said.  “I feel like I got a great education here and am proud to receive this award and say that I graduated from USF.”

 

There will be two award recipients for the Outstanding Professor Award this semester—Dr. Weimin Mo, associate professor for the College of Education, and Dr. Noel Mark Noel, Senior Lecturer of Marketing. 

 

The Fall 2006 graduates of USF Sarasota-Manatee range from traditional to non-traditional students. Among the students of traditional college age, a large percentage continue their education at USF Sarasota-Manatee after attending Manatee Community College for their freshman and sophomore level courses. Among non-traditional students, many of this year’s graduates worked full-time while attending school -- balancing family, work and school responsibilities.

 

The varied profile of this year’s graduating class mirrors the wide range of ages among the student body at USF Sarasota-Manatee.  David E. Lamb, 77, is the oldest graduate in the USF system and will be attending the USF Sarasota-Manatee commencement.  Lamb is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.

 

USF Sarasota-Manatee is an upper-level campus for those with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree who are interested in earning a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification or continuing education credit. The regional campus offers the prestige of a national Research I university with the convenience of a hometown campus, including classes in south Sarasota County at MCC Venice. For more information, visit www.sarasota.usf.edu.

 

For more information call USF Sarasota-Manatee at (941)359-4330 or visit www.sarasota.usf.edu.