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				Contact: Christine Payton	May 12, 2009
				(337) 482-6397, payton@louisiana.edu
				Outstanding Graduates, Commencement Schedule
				RODRIGUE TO RECEIVE HONORARY DEGREE AT COMMENCEMENT UL Lafayette to hold commencement ceremonies on May 17
				Artist George Rodrigue, known for his Blue Dog paintings, will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The degree will be presented during the Graduate School commencement ceremony on May 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Cajundome. Rodrigue, born and raised in New Iberia, studied at UL Lafayette during the 1960s. He later studied drawing and painting at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. In much of his early paintings, Rodrigue used oak trees as his main subject. Eventually, his main subjects included the Cajun people and traditions as well as his interpretations of myths such as Jolie Blonde and Evangeline. One myth, the loup-garou, inspired the artist’s most famous series, the Blue Dog. Rodrigue found inspiration for the image of the loup-garou in pictures of his studio dog Tiffany. He first painted the image a pale grey-blue and gave it red eyes. Over time, Rodrigue changed the dog’s eyes to yellow, giving it a friendlier image. Nine years ago, Rodrigue created Hurricanes, an abstract series of Louisiana storms. In 2005, he premiered Bodies, reacting to the intensity of Hurricanes with a sudden return to classical nudes, cemeteries and oak trees. His accomplishments have been acknowledged at many museums including the Dixon Gallery and Gardens Museum in Memphis, Tenn. This museum hosted a 40-year Rodrigue retrospective, which also traveled to the New Orleans Museum of Art. In New Orleans, 60,000 visitors attended the art show, setting an attendance record for a contemporary show or living artist. Most recently, he was honored by UL Lafayette’s College of the Arts with a lifetime achievement award during the college’s annual Festival of the Arts. UL Lafayette’s Alumni Association has also honored Rodrigue as an Outstanding Alumni. Rodrigue and his wife, Wendy, live in the New Orleans’ historic Faubourg Marigny. Other scheduled speakers and the complete schedule of ceremonies include: Cajundome • 9 a.m. College of General Studies. Carol Polito, a new advisor in the College of General Studies will present the keynote address. She holds a bachelor’s degree in General Studies and a master’s in psychology. Polito has served as an adjunct professor at UL Lafayette and South Louisiana Community College. • noon. College of Liberal Arts. UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie will give the keynote address. Savoie is UL Lafayette’s sixth president. An alumnus of UL Lafayette, he earned both his Bachelor of Arts/Education and Master of Education from the university. He earned his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from Columbia University Teacher’s College in New York, a nationally recognized graduate school of education. Savoie has served as the Commissioner of Higher Education at the Louisiana Board of Regents since 1996. Prior to that position, he served in numerous roles on the UL Lafayette campus including Vice President for University Advancement, Executive Director of the Alumni Association, Program Director for Union Program Council and Student Government Advisor, as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor. • 3 p.m. B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration. Dr. Charles Lein will be the keynote speaker for the College of Business. Lein retired from Stuller Inc. in Lafayette earlier this year. He was president and chief operating officer. He has degrees in economics and business administration along with a master’s in business administration and an Ed.D. with an emphasis in education and business administration. Lein has worked as a university professor and administrator at many colleges. In 1977, Lein was named president of The University of South Dakota in Springfield and at 35 years old, he was the youngest state university president in the nation. Before working at Stuller, Lein was chairman, president and CEO of Black Hills Jewelry Manufacturing Company. He is married to Dr. Susan Lein, who teaches in the School of Music. • 5:30 p.m. Graduate School. Artist George Rodrigue will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts. Cajundome Convention Center - Exhibit Hall (first floor) • 9 a.m. College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions. There will be no keynote address. • noon. College of Education. Lauren Ashley Jankower, the college’s Outstanding Graduate and one of its 4.0 graduates, will give the keynote address. Jankower is a secondary English education major and is the daughter of Steve and Laura Jankower of Lafayette. Upon graduation, she plans on teaching at the high school level, attending UL Lafayette's Graduate School to receive a master's degree in gifted education and becoming a national board certified teacher. • 3 p.m. College of Engineering. Sonny Launey, a UL Lafayette alum, will give the keynote address. He graduated from UL Lafayette with a bachelor of science degree in 1968 and master’s in 1969 in civil engineering. He is a licensed engineer in Louisiana and Texas and is an emeritus member of Louisiana's Engineering and Surveying Licensing Board. Since 1995, he has been a member of the exam committees for the NCEES, the people who develop the FE and PE exams. Launey has been a member of the Louisiana Engineering Society and the American Society of Civil Engineers for over 40 years and is on the UL Lafayette Alumni Association Council. He is a member of our Civil Engineering advisory board and is also an adjunct professor in civil engineering. Cajundome Convention Center - Festival Ballroom (second floor) • noon. College of the Arts. Caroline Randall, the college’s Outstanding Graduate, will give the keynote address. She is the daughter of Charles and Mary Randall of Pineville. She is majoring in performing arts with a dance concentration. Upon graduation, she would like to continue pursing a career in the performing arts, whether as a professional dancer or a teacher. She hopes to combine interest in theater with those in dance and would like to stay involved in community theater as a performing artist. • 3 p.m. Ray P. Authement College of Sciences. Lan Pham, the college’s Outstanding Graduate, will give the keynote address. Pham is the daughter of Tan and Levy Mai Pham of Abbeville and is a biology major with a 4.0 GPA. Following graduation, Pham will attend the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, where she will pursue a Doctor of Optometry Degree. She has been awarded a Southern College Optometry Dean's Endowed Scholarship. She is one of only 12 students to receive such an award out of 600 applications. -30- About UL Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is the second largest university in the state, with over 16,000 students. It's a public institution that awards bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. It includes diverse offerings from the humanities to scientific research and leads the nation in areas like computer science, biology and nursing. Its student-athletes - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns - compete in NCAA Division I, the highest level of collegiate competition.

Document last revised Tuesday, May 12, 2009 9:19 AM

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