Commencement exercises Friday, Saturday

More than 3,500 professional, graduate and undergraduate students are candidates for degrees during spring commencement exercises set for Friday and Saturday, May 12 and 13.

SIUC's graduation ceremonies are open to the public and tickets are not required. Nine alumni will receive Alumni Achievement Awards as part of individual college and school ceremonies. These awards represent the highest honor the SIU Alumni Association bestows.

Here is the commencement schedule, speaker for each college, and Alumni Achievement Award recipients:

Friday, May 12

College of Liberal Arts

5 p.m. -- SIU Arena. Buzz Spector, professor and chair of the art department at Cornell University. Spector will also receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

Saturday May 13

College of Science

8:30 a.m. -- Shryock Auditorium. Roy C. Heidinger, professor emeritus in the zoology department. Heidinger will also receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

College of Education and Human Services

8:30 a.m. -- SIU Arena. Henry H. Scherich, president/CEO of Measurement Inc. in Durham, N.C. Arthur M. Horne, distinguished research professor at the University of Georgia, will receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

College of Agricultural Sciences

11 a.m. -- Shryock Auditorium. Larry Fischer, vice president for instruction at John Wood Community College in Quincy. Fischer will also receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

College of Applied Sciences and Arts

11 a.m. -- SIU Arena. Jay Rud, one of three chief pilots for American Airlines in Chicago. Rud will also receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

College of Mass Communication and Media Arts

1:30 p.m. -- Shryock Auditorium. William P. Livek, co-CEO of Simmons Market Research. Livek will also receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

College of Engineering

1:30 p.m. -- SIU Arena. Howard Lo, CEO of Mastersoft Inc. in San Carlos, Calif. Lo will also receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

School of Law

4 p.m. -- Shryock Auditorium. Dr. Marsha G. Ryan, Carbondale surgeon, assistant professor of clinical surgery in the SIUC medical school and adjunct professor in the law school. Edward Light, Winnebago County assistant public defender, will receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

College of Business and Administration

4 p.m. -- SIU Arena. James Tally, president/CEO of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Tally will also receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

Graduate School

7 p.m. -- SIU Arena.