College to celebrate spring graduates

More than 2,030 students are scheduled to graduate from ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences May 8. Among them, 1,820 will earn bachelor’s degrees, 135 will earn master’s degrees and 83 will earn doctoral or terminal degrees.

The schools or departments with the largest number of undergraduate students scheduled to earn degrees are:

–  Department of Political Science (211)
–  Department of Psychology (205)
–  School of Life Sciences (197)
–  Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (173)
–  School of Social and Family Dynamics (118)
–  Department of Kinesiology (115)
–  Department of English (110)
–  Department of History (96)
–  School of Justice and Social Inquiry (95)
–  School of International Letters and Cultures (89)

“The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is really something that students should know is absolutely the core of ASU,” says ASU President Michael M. Crow in an Oct. 1, 2007, podcast. “The liberal arts and sciences are the disciplines that have evolved over the last 2,400 years, since the emergence of the philosophers in ancient Greece to the medieval universities with their emphasis on theology, their emphasis on medicine, and their emphasis on philosophy.”

Nearly a quarter of students at ASU are pursuing degrees through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The college encompasses the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities across 30 academic units.

“ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is fantastic. And so it really is the kind of place that you can learn to think critically, learn to think broadly and philosophically, whether you’re a scientist or a humanist or a social scientist across all of those areas, so it’s a fantastic place to live and to learn,” Crow says. “So in a sense, the heart of the heart of the university is the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.”

“We literally are educating students for jobs not yet conceived, using technologies not yet invented, to solve problems not yet known,” says Quentin Wheeler, ASU vice president and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “No preparation for the future could be more appropriate than the liberal arts and sciences.”

ASU will hold the spring commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. May 8 at Wells Fargo Arena. More information at www.asu.edu/ssc/commence.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will hold a convocation ceremony at 8 a.m. May 9 at Wells Fargo Arena. More information at clas.asu.edu/students/graduation/convocation.

The student convocation speaker is Mackenzie Hopman, a senior majoring in English literature and French. She represents the college's graduating class and will address her peers at convocation. She exemplifies the goals and achievements of a liberal arts and sciences education because of her scholarship and volunteer work. Hopman has been involved with the Pat Tillman Leadership Through Action Program since her freshman year at ASU. She ran the New York City Marathon on behalf of the Pat Tillman Foundation and raised $6,500.

The alumni convocation speaker, Mario Diaz, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1991 and a master’s degree in public administration in 1997. Diaz is owner of Mario E. Diaz & Associates, a government and public relations firm. He served as deputy chief of staff for urban relations, and boards and commissions, for Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano. Diaz was a member of the College Dean’s Advisory Council and in 2003, he was honored as a College Leader.

The college's nearly 80,000 alumni throughout the world are making untold civic, economic, scientific and social contributions. The college chapter is comprised of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers who play a significant role in the community, including providing ideas, supporting students and creating networking opportunities for alumni. More information at clas.asu.edu/alumni.

Erica Velasco, erica.velasco@asu.edu
480-965-1156
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences