News from Trinity University

Mark Larson

SAN ANTONIO – Trinity University will hold two commencement exercises on Saturday, May 16, conferring degrees on a total of 557 undergraduate and graduate students. Chloë Rae Edmonson, a graduating senior from Austin, will deliver the commencement address to her fellow undergraduates. In a separate ceremony, Mark Larson, recipient of three degrees from Trinity, will address graduate students.

Commencement for 76 students receiving master’s degrees in teaching, school psychology, accounting, and health care administration is at 9 a.m. in the Parker Chapel. No tickets are necessary for admission. Mr. Larson received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1997 and master’s degrees in the education field in 1998 and 2002. He is the founder of KIPP Aspire Academy in San Antonio, a free, college preparatory school for disadvantaged middle school students.

The ceremony for 481 undergraduates is at 10:30 a.m. in Laurie Auditorium, where seating is limited and tickets are required for guests and relatives of candidates for Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music degrees.

During the undergraduate exercises, John R. Brazil, president of Trinity University who has announced his intention to retire in January 2010, will receive Trinity’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, for his leadership during the 10 years of his presidency at Trinity.

Undergraduates will see a new tradition starting this year. All graduates with grade point averages of 3.5 or higher – and thus, are eligible for Latin honors such as magna cum laude – will receive the President’s Award for Academic Excellence. The award will be symbolized by the wearing of a maroon stole bearing the seal of the University.

Ms. Edmonson is a drama major with a minor in English. She has performed in Trinity productions such as The Misanthrope, You Can’t Take It With You, and Much Ado About Nothing. Last summer, she toured with the Missoula Children’s Theatre’s production of Robinson Crusoe, bringing theater to children in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and South Carolina. Her research paper on Miss Julie won first place in the Texas Educational Theatre Association’s Emerging Scholar’s Panel and was presented at the Association’s TheatreFest 2009 in Houston. Selected as a Baker Duncan Drama Scholar, Ms. Edmonson was named to Dean’s List five semesters and was a University Scholar. She is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Greek Honor Society, Mortar Board, and Golden Key.

This summer, she will coordinate the theater program for Indian Head Camp before taking a year off to work as a live-in nanny in Wellington, New Zealand. After that, she plans to attend graduate school to become a college drama professor.

Also new this year to the undergraduate commencement ceremony is the institution of the Marshal of the Faculty Procession. This honorary position is held by a senior-most faculty member in attendance whose duties are to lead the faculty into and out of Laurie Auditorium. The spring 2009 Marshal of the Faculty Procession is Roger Spencer, the Vernon Taylor Professor of Economics.

In addition, the Dr. and Mrs. Z.T. Scott Faculty Fellowship Award will be announced recognizing a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in teaching and advising students. Marshall Hess ’88, president of the Trinity University Alumni Association, also will welcome the new graduates into the association.