First night time ceremony to cope with largest number of graduands

Dec 12, 2003

The University of Wollongong will conduct its first night time graduation ceremony next week to cope with a record number of graduating students.

From an eligible 3,000 graduands about 2,500 graduands will be attending the 11 ceremonies beginning on Monday. A special night time ceremony will be conducted at 7pm on Monday 15 December for education and engineering graduands.

The University expects to play host to about 10,000 people during the course of the week including the graduands and their families and friends.

Some possible photo/filming opportunities:

* The Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Security, Kevin Rudd, will be the guest speaker at the 2.30pm Monday 15 December ceremony

* Three members of one family are graduating together at the one ceremony - a father and his two daughters. Eugene Martinez and his daughters Jesseca and Meegan will graduate with Bachelor of Arts degrees at the 2.30pm ceremony on Tuesday 16 December

* Dr John Hogg, a surgeon who was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for providing medical services to the injured in the immediate aftermath of the Bali bombing will be the guest speaker at the 9.45am ceremony on Tuesday 16 December

* A married couple are jointly graduating with PhDs from the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences. They are Gavin Pinniger and Donna Bayliss and are graduating at the 9.45am ceremony on Tuesday 16 December

* Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Christine Nixon, will be the guest speaker at the 9.45am ceremony on Wednesday 17 December. She will also receive an Honorary Doctorate of Letters. At the same ceremony Chief Inspector Charles Pasfield will receive a University Fellowship

* The Deputy CEO of WIN-Corporation, George Papadopolous, will be graduating with a Masters in International Business at the 2.30pm ceremony on Wednesday 17 December

* The former Federal Member for Cunningham, Professor Stephen Martin of UOW's Graduate School of Business and Professional Development, will have his wife, Carol, graduating with a Masters in Mental Health, and his daughter, Cassandra, graduating with a Masters in Journalism. The family will all be together on Thursday at 9.15am on 18 December outside the University Hall

* Rhianna Cantor will graduate with a law degree at the 9.45am ceremony on Friday 19 December. Her husband is the Australian cricket captain designate, Ricky Ponting. It has yet to be confirmed at this stage if Ricky is attending the ceremony to see his wife graduate

* The Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Mick Keelty, will be the guest speaker at the Friday 19 December 9.45am ceremony

Venue for all ceremonies: University Hall, UniCentre, University of Wollongong

Further information: Contact the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gerard Sutton, on 4221 3909.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128