UB to Hold 13 Commencement Ceremonies May 15-17

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Community leader Ruth Kahn Stovroff will receive the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, the University at Buffalo's highest tribute, at the university's 152nd commencement ceremony, to be held at 10 a.m. on May 17 in Alumni Arena on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

James W. McLernon, a leader in the automotive industry for nearly 50 years, will receive an honorary SUNY Doctorate of Humane Letters at the commencement ceremony for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, to be held at 1 p.m. on May 16 in Alumni Arena.

About 5,000 students will be candidates to receive degrees during 13 ceremonies to be held May 15-17. The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences will hold its commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. on May 22 in the Center for the Arts. David C. Hohn, president and chief executive officer of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, will speak.

UB President William R. Greiner and graduating senior Silvia Muller of Buffalo will speak, and Greiner and Provost Thomas E. Headrick will confer degrees on graduating seniors from the faculties of Arts and Letters, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Social Sciences at the general commencement ceremony on May 17.

The recipients of three Dean's Awards will be Shane E. Eisen of Amherst, social sciences; Elowyn Yager of Tonawanda, natural sciences and mathematics, and Heather G. Shillinglaw of Schenectady, Arts and Letters.

Anna Furgiuele of Penfield will receive the senior leadership award.

Student vocalist will be Kristen A. Viszneki of Vestal.

Stovroff, who will receive the Chancellor Norton Medal, has long been recognized for "her concern for all people, regardless of race, color, creed or religion" that has helped set the course for dozens of health and human-services organizations in the community. Among these are Hospice Buffalo, Inc.; the Food Bank of Western New York; the American Red Cross; the Blind Association of Western New York, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

McLernon, who will receive an honorary degree at the engineering school's commencement, is a 1950 UB graduate and a member of the engineering school's Dean's Advisory Council.

During his 27 years with General Motors, McLernon moved from the assembly line to the front office, where he directed the operation of a 32-plant network employing some 110,000 people.

Called a "seasoned engineer and production wizard," he oversaw the implementation of a Volkswagen plant in western Pennsylvania, the first major foreign operation to build cars in the U.S.

Four years ago, he and a group of investors formed American Axle & Manufacturing, which supplies major parts to auto manufacturers around the world.

o Graduate School, 2 p.m., May 15, Center for the Arts. Speaker will be C.J. Tan, senior manager, applications systems technology, research division, IBM/Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights. Headrick will confer degrees.

o Health Related Professions, 9 a.m., May 16, Alumni Arena. Kenneth J. Ottenbacher, vice dean and professor in the School of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, will speak. Senior Vice Provost Kenneth J. Levy will confer degrees.

o Graduate School of Social Work, 9 a.m., May 16, Center for the Arts. Dean Lawrence Shulman will speak. Michael E. Bernardino, vice president for health affairs, will confer degrees.

o School of Nursing, 9 a.m., May 16, Slee Concert Hall. Mattie L. Rhodes, clinical associate professor on the UB School of Nursing, will speak. Greiner will confer degrees.

o School of Information and Library Studies, 10 a.m. May 16, Student Union Theatre. Glendora Johnson-Cooper, associate librarian and development coordinator for the undergraduate collection, will speak. Greiner will confer degrees.

o School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 1 p.m., May 16, Alumni Arena. Dean Mark H. Karwan will speak. Greiner will confer degrees.

o School of Law, 1 p.m. May 16, Center for the Arts. The Hon. Richard Wesley of the New York State Court of Appeals, will speak. Headrick will confer degrees.

o School of Pharmacy, 1 p.m., May 16, Slee Concert Hall. Bernardino will confer degrees.

o School of Architecture and Planning, 3 p.m., May 16, lawn outside Hayes Hall, South (Main Street) Campus. Kenneth Frampton, Ware Professor of Architecture at Columbia University, will speak. Levy will confer degrees.

o Graduate School of Education, 5 p.m., May 16, Center for the Arts. Dean Jacquelyn Mitchell will speak. Headrick will confer degrees.

o School of Management, 5 p.m., May 16, Alumni Arena. Interim Dean John Thomas, faculty members, students and alumni will speak. Greiner will confer degrees.

o School of Dental Medicine, 2 p.m., May 17, Center for the Arts. Harold Slavin, director of the National Institute of Dental Research, will speak. Bernardino will confer degrees.