President Clinton to deliver Keynote Address at UCSD Commencement Ceremony June 14

June 2, 1997

Media Contact: Dolores Davies, (619) 534-5994 or [email protected]

PRESIDENT CLINTON TO DELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT UCSD COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY JUNE 14

Editor's Note: Members of the news media wishing to cover this event must obtain credentials in advance. To apply for credentials, please fax a letter of request on your media organization letterhead including your name, title, date of birth, and social security number, to Dolores Davies at (619) 534-1407. This information must be included for any members of your news organization (photographers, etc.) planning to attend/cover the event.

President William Jefferson Clinton will deliver the keynote address at the University of California, San Diego's class of '97 commencement ceremonies on Saturday, June 14, at 9 a.m. on UCSD's RIMAC Field. Approximately 20,000 students, faculty, family members, friends and others are expected to attend the event.

According to White House Press Secretary Michael McCurry, President Clinton will deliver a policy speech on the diversity of the American people, and will talk specifically "on how we can reconcile antagonisms between races and bring people together in one America to use our diversity to make progress as one people in the 21st century."

A limited number of tickets will be available to the public to attend President Clinton's commencement address. Tickets will be distributed -- no more than two per person -- on June 12, at 10 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis at the UCSD Box Office. Ticket information is available by calling the UCSD Box Office at (619) 534-8497. President Clinton's address will be broadcast live on UCSD-TV Channel 35 (UHF) and on Channel 16 on Southwestern Cable. In what is expected to be the largest video web broadcast ever, UCSD will broadcast the event live (9 a.m. PST) from its internet web site: http://www.ucsd.edu/commencement (with video and audio).

In addition to the President's commencement address, approximately 4,100 students from five undergraduate colleges, two graduate schools, and a graduate division at UCSD will receive diplomas in separate college ceremonies to be held June 8, 14, and 15.

At this year's commencement ceremonies, five undergraduate colleges -- Eleanor Roosevelt, Muir, Revelle, Thurgood Marshall and Warren -- will confer approximately 3,000 degrees. In addition to the undergraduates, the Division of Graduate Studies and Research will issue 800 degrees, the School of Medicine will grant 117 degrees, and the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) will bestow another 90 degrees.

The School of Medicine

The UCSD School of Medicine, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its first graduating class, will hold the first of UCSD's eight commencement ceremonies at 11 a.m. Sunday, June 8, on the lawn west of the Biomedical Library, at the corner of Gilman Drive and Osler Lane. In honor of its 25th anniversary, the School of Medicine's commencement speaker will be renowned cardiologist Eugene Braunwald, M.D., founding chair of the Department of Medicine at UCSD, 1968-1972.

Braunwald, who will speak on "Medicine at the Turn of the Millennium: Triumphs and Concerns," is Distinguished Hersey Professor of Medicine and faculty dean for academic programs at the Brigham and Women's and Massachusetts General Hospitals, Harvard Medical School. He is also vice president for academic programs at Partners HealthCare System, parent corporation of the Brigham and Women's and Massachusetts General Hospitals affiliation. Additionally, he has served as both chief of the Cardiology Branch and clinical director of the National, Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and is the only cardiologist who is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Eleanor Roosevelt College

At 2:30 p.m., June 14, 400 Eleanor Roosevelt College students will receive diplomas in the main arena of the RIMAC Complex. The guest speaker will be William Richardson of New Mexico, who was recently appointed U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Muir College

The 700 graduates of Muir College will receive their diplomas June 14 at 2 p.m. at RIMAC Field. The student speakers will be graduating seniors Sharon Apple, Jill Logan, Jennifer Nicoll, and Dar Gerscovich. Each will offer a different perspective on life as a Muir student.

Graduate School of International Relations/Pacific Studies (IR/PS)

Scheduled June 14 at 2 p.m. in the IR/PS Robinson Plaza, the IR/PS ceremony will feature an address by W.A. Owens, president of Science Applications International Corp., (SAIC). Approximately 90 graduates will receive the Masters of Pacific International Affairs degree at the ceremony.

Thurgood Marshall College

Ceremonies for 600 graduates of Thurgood Marshall College will be held at 2 p.m., June 14 on the Thurgood Marshall Playing Field. Yen-Le Espiritu, associate professor of ethnic studies and chair of the Ethnic Studies Department, will be commencement speaker.

Earl Warren College

The first of three ceremonies slated for June 15 will begin at 9 a.m., when 650 graduates of Warren College receive their diplomas in ceremonies on the Thurgood Marshall Playing Field. Student speakers will give commencement addresses before some 5,000 family members and friends.

Division of Graduate Studies and Research

Featured speaker at a 12 noon ceremony on June 15 in the Ballroom will be Peter Gourevitch, professor of political science and founding dean of the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies. Approximately 800 graduate degrees will be awarded.

Revelle College

Revelle College will hold the last of UCSD's graduation ceremonies at 2:30 p.m., June 15 on Thurgood Marshall Playing Field, where 650 students will receive their diplomas before 5,000 family members and friends. David Luft, professor of history at UCSD, will be the guest speaker. (June 2, 1997)