By William Schexnayder
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

Left: Bernard A. Harris, Jr.
photo courtesy of Karen Barbier

On Dec. 14, more than 860 students will join 34,000 former students as graduates of UH-Clear Lake. This semester's graduation ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. in the Hofheinz Pavilion.

A graduation reception will be held Dec. 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Atrium II of the Bayou Building. Tickets are available at the Student Life Office located in the Bayou Building, Room 1602.

"Helping students is our major reason for being and at the time of graduation, we can all share in the joyous celebration of that accomplishment," said Dennis Spuck, dean of the School of Education.

The keynote speaker for the fall 2002 commencement ceremony will be Bernard A. Harris, Jr., a graduate of the School of Business and Public Administration. Harris also holds a doctorate of medicine from Texas Tech University School of Medicine.

Harris holds faculty positions at both the University of Texas Medical Branch and Baylor College of Medicine. He is also a veteran astronaut, having logged more than 438 hours and 7.2 million miles in space. Currently, Harris is the president and CEO of Vesalius Ventures, Inc., a business accelerator for Medical Informatics and Technology.

"I am indeed honored to be addressing the students, faculty and families for the commencement of the University of Houston-Clear Lake," Harris said. "As a graduate of the business school, I have a vested interest in the outcome of our graduates. It is my hope that sharing my experiences will provide insights for each student's future."

According to a survey by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, 25.1 percent of graduating students plan to re-enroll at UH-Clear Lake.

Graduation is not just an exciting time for students. For university faculty and administrators, the commencement ceremonies are a time to pause and reflect.

"Year after year, my heart is full as the crowd of parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, spouses, partners and friends clap, cheer, holler, stamp their feet, blow horns, wave signs and run up with flowers to honor their graduates," said Gretchen Mieszkowski, director of humanities.

"No matter how depressing the economy gets, no matter how politicized education becomes, no matter how strained international relations become, as long as UHCL and other institutions are producing graduates the caliber of this year's graduating class, we have a chance for a bright future," said James Sherrill, associate dean of the School of Education. "I am sure I speak on behalf of my colleagues when I say that we are extremely proud of the graduating class."

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