digital initiatives logo library logo

University of Idaho News Archive

Please Note: these news items were harvested in September 2015. Some functionality has been disabled. Links may be broken or out of date.
For current news, please visit UI News.

ApplyVisitGive

University of Idaho Commencement in Moscow

Friday, April 11 2008


April 11, 2008 MOSCOW, Idaho – Approximately 1,429 students are eligible for graduation from the University of Idaho’s Moscow campus on Saturday, May 10, at 9:30 a.m. The candidates have applied for 1,096 baccalaureate degrees, 91 law degrees, 43 doctoral degrees, 4 specialist degrees and 195 master’s degrees. Final graduation numbers will be available following the semester's end. Some students may earn multiple degrees. This event marks the university’s 113th commencement ceremony in Moscow. Statewide this spring, commencement ceremonies celebrate the accomplishments of 1,747 University of Idaho students who are eligible to graduate. Kirstin Larson ’91 will deliver the commencement address. After graduating from the University of Idaho with a bachelor of arts degree, she worked in international marketing for Microsoft. As a group product manager for the Desktop Applications Division, she helped to develop marketing strategies for Microsoft Office and Excel software programs. She also served as director of brand strategy for Microsoft and director of marketing for MSN. After retiring to focus on raising her family, she found another passion: art collecting. In 2006, Larson and her husband founded FIND Art Consulting Services, which helps novice art collectors connect with emerging local artists. Larson’s other passion is community service. She is a member of the Kirkland Arts Council, the Kirkland Performance Center and the Kirkland Arts Center. She is also a member of the board of directors of the University of Idaho Foundation. Honorary degrees will be granted to Duane Hagadone, Roger Ottmar and Tony Stewart. Three alumni will be inducted into the Hall of Fame: Dr. Todd Kuiken, Otis Livingston and Dayaldas T. Meshri. The University of Idaho's main commencement ceremony in Moscow will take place in the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center. All degree candidates participating in the ceremony and faculty members, in their regalia, will meet at the Administration Lawn at 8 a.m. to form a procession to the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center. In case of inclement weather, students and faculty are instructed to come to the Administration Lawn for directions. Led by bagpipes, the procession will begin at 8:30 a.m., moving down University Avenue to the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center. The concession stand on the concourse of the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center will be open for coffee and pastries before the ceremony. The Common Grounds coffee shop in the Idaho Commons also will be open for purchasing coffee and pastries throughout the day. College celebrations for the graduates, their friends, family and faculty will be held immediately following the ceremony at the following locations:
  • Agricultural and Life Sciences: Agricultural Biotechnology Building, Interaction Court and northwest lawn
  • Art and Architecture: Prichard Art Gallery, 414 S. Main St., Moscow
  • Business and Economics: J. A. Albertson Building, First Floor Gallery
  • Education: Physical Education Building, Room 110
  • Engineering: Engineering Building Complex (tentative)
  • Letters, Arts and Social Sciences: ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center
  • Natural Resources: Natural Resources Building, West Lobby
  • Science: Idaho Commons
    • Shuttles from hotels will be available to attendees beginning at 7:45 a.m. Those parking on the east side of campus can access a shuttle to the Commons and the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center. Following the commencement ceremony, shuttles will provide transportation to the individual college celebrations and will return to local hotels after these celebrations. Rayburn Street, immediately east of the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center and the College of Law, will be closed to traffic. Additional disability parking will be provided for the event. More information about the Moscow commencement is available online www.registrar.uidaho.edu/graduation/moscow-may.html. College of Law The College of Law, the university's only First Professional degree program, will hold its own graduation and celebration Saturday, May 10, beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the Memorial Gymnasium. Law degree candidates will meet, dressed in regalia, on the front steps of Menard Law Building at 2:15 p.m. The college's commencement address will be provided by the Hon. B. Lynn Winmill, U.S. District Court of Idaho. He was appointed a U.S. District Judge for the District of Idaho in 1995 by Presisdent Clinton. He practiced law in Denver and Pocatello before being appointed a district judge for Idaho’s Sixth Judicial District in 1987. Winmill served as an adjunct professor at Idaho State University from 1991 to 1995. He is a member of the Idaho State Bar Association and the Sixth District Bar Association. He participated in the Idaho Humanities Council and the Boy Scouts of America. He serves on the Information Technology Committee of the U.S. Judicial Conference and is a member of the Ninth Circuit Judicial Council. Winmill earned his undergraduate degree from Idaho State University and his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School A reception will follow the college ceremony at the University Inn Best Western (1516 Pullman Rd.) in Moscow. More information about the College of Law commencement is available online www.registrar.uidaho.edu/graduation/moscow-may.html. Honorary Degrees Honorary degrees are awarded to a person deserving honor by virtue o scholarly distinction, noteworthy public service or significant contributions to the state. Three individuals will receive honorary degrees: Duane Hagadone, Roger Ottmar and Tony Stewart.
  • Hagadone is a third-generation Idahoan. He is chairman and chief executive officer of Coeur d’Alene-based Hagadone Corp., which encompasses newspapers, publishing, property management and hospitality services, including Coeur d’Alene Resort. Among numerous honors, Hagadone received the 2004 Horatio Alger Award. He and his wife are active supporters of community organizations, including the Kootenai Humane Society, the Coeur d’Alene Library Foundation, the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre and United Way. Hagadone was twice the chairman of the Kootenai County United Way Fund, in 1964 and 2007. He currently is honorary chairman of the committee to build a new Boys and Girls Club for Kootenai County. He has endowed 60 annual scholarships for Idaho students to attend colleges and universities in Idaho. He has been inducted into the University of Idaho Alumni Hall of Fame and the Idaho Hall of Fame, and received the 2006 Idaho Business Leader of the Year Award. Hagadone will receive an honorary doctor of business administration degree from the University of Idaho.
  • Research forester Ottmar has spent nearly three decades focused on fire science, education and outreach. His pioneering work on the physical properties of wildland fuels and how they contribute to fire behavior, smoke production and atmospheric pollution has earned him worldwide respect. He works with the fire and environmental research applications team at the Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory in Seattle His research interests are in fire effects, fuel consumption, fuel loading quantification, emissions production and impacts on air quality and human health. He is the author of more than 100 research publications and has been the principal investigator on more than 75 research projects. Ottmar earned a bachelor of arts degree from Eastern Washington University and bachelor of science and master of science degrees from the University of Washington. Ottmar will receive an honorary doctor of natural resources degree from the University of Idaho.
  • Stewart is a professor, lecturer, human rights advocate and author. Stewart began teaching political science and advising pre-law students at North Idaho College in 1970, where he served as chair of social sciences for 14 years. He founded and chairs the North Idaho College Popcorn Forum Lecture Series, and founded and introduces “North Idaho College TV-Public Forum.” Stewart was a founding member of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations and the five-state Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment, and served terms as president of both organizations. He also served as founding board member of the Human Rights Education Institute, is vice chair of the North Idaho College Human Rights and Diversity Committee, and has served for 18 years as faculty adviser of the North Idaho Human Equality Club. Among his many honors is the 2006 Idaho Humanities Council Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Humanities. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University and a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. He has done graduate work toward a doctoral degree at Washington State University. Stewart will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from the University of Idaho.
    • Hall of Fame The University of Idaho Alumni Association Hall of Fame was created in 1962. It recognizes individuals who have achieved national or international distinction through their accomplishments and leadership. Three individuals will be inducted: Dr. Todd Kuiken, Otis Livingston and Dayaldas T. Meshri.
  • Kuiken is associate dean of Academic Affairs at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the Neural Engineering Center for Artificial Limbs at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. As a physician-scientist, Kuiken has been a leader in the design and implementation of new prosthetic systems. His achievements have improved, and continue to improve the quality of life for amputees. Kuiken attended Idaho from 1978-1981 and majored in biology and mechanical engineering. He is a native of Twin Falls, Idaho, and earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School in 1990. He has been named Chicagoan of the Year, by Chicago Magazine. Kuiken holds four patents on innovative prosthetic devices.
  • Livingston '91is remembered by Vandal fans for his leadership on the basketball court. He helped lead Idaho to the 1990 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. With his degree in telecommunications, Livingston became a sports broadcaster and now is sports anchor for "Today in New York" on WNBC-TV in New York City. He has contributed to NBC Sports coverage of the NBA and Stanley Cup finals, the World Series, the U.S Open tennis championship, and the Athens and Torino Olympic Games.
  • Meshri '68 is president and chief executive officer of Advanced Research Chemicals, based in Catoosa, Okla., with facilities in Mexico and India. The company, founded by Meshri, is one of the world's largest producers of custom fluorine-based chemicals. A native of India, Meshri earned his doctoral degree in chemistry at Idaho, and completed post-doctoral studies at Cornell University. He serves on the board of directors for the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology and is an active philanthropist.
    • Full commencement details are available online at the Registrar's Web site at www.registrar.uidaho.edu/graduation/moscow-may.html. Video copies of all 2008 University of Idaho commencement ceremonies can be ordered from the University of Idaho Video Production Center at www.its2.uidaho.edu/video/grad. The programs are available in VHS and DVD. For more information on purchasing a video, e-mail videoctr@uidaho.edu or call (208) 885-0569 ext. 1#. # # # About the University of Idaho Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s flagship higher-education institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100 million in research grants and contracts each year; the University of Idaho is the only institution in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie Foundation ranking for high research activity. The university’s student population includes first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars. Offering more than 150 degree options in 10 colleges, the university combines the strengths of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu. Contact: Tania Thompson, University Communications, (208) 885-6567, taniat@uidaho.edu TT-4/11/08-ADM


    About the University of Idaho
    The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.