| Susie P. Gonzalez | 210-999-8406 | susie.gonzalez@trinity.edu |
Trinity University to Award More Than 500 Degrees |
April 25, 2003 – Trinity University will hold two commencement exercises on Saturday, May 17, conferring degrees upon 78 graduate students and 458 undergraduates. Retired Maj. Gen. William K. Suter, clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States, will deliver the commencement address to undergraduates. Lissa Walls Vahldiek, vice president and chief operating officer of Southern Newspapers Inc. of Houston, will address graduate students. Both speakers are Trinity graduates. Commencement for students receiving master’s degrees in arts, teaching, accounting, and health care administration is at 9 a.m. in the Margarite B. Parker Chapel. No tickets are necessary for admission. The ceremony for 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. In addition to Gen. Suter, a graduating senior will speak at Trinity’s undergraduate ceremony. Michelle Luk of Houston, who is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, will address the assembly. At Trinity, she has conducted research in the biology laboratory of Dr. Steven Bachrach and with a researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She was active in the Association of Student Representatives, the Trinity University Ambassadors, the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and the Ropers dance team. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, and Blue Key honor societies, and she recently was named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Also during the undergraduate ceremony, the Dr. & Mrs. Z.T. Scott Faculty Fellowship Award will be announced recognizing a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in teaching and advising students. Gen. Suter became clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991. Previously, he was the assistant judge advocate general of the Army (1985-90) and chief judge of the U.S. Army Court of Military Review and commander of the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency (1984-85.) After graduating from Trinity University in 1959 with a degree in sociology, Gen. Suter received a law degree from the Tulane University School of Law. He completed a graduate law program at the Judge Advocate General’s School at the University of Virginia and later served as commandant and director of academics at that university’s Judge Advocate General’s School. While in the Army, Gen. Suter received such honors as the Bronze Star and Distinguished Service Medal. He received honors on the Commandant’s List at Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Following her graduation from Trinity in 1980, Ms. Vahldiek worked as a reporter at The Herald Coaster in Rosenberg, Texas. In 1982, she joined Southern Newspapers, a family-owned business based in Houston that publishes newspapers across Texas, Alabama, and Georgia. Ms. Vahldiek also is vice president of Galveston Newspapers Inc., where she is responsible for overall management and long range planning for the Galveston Daily News and Texas City Sun. In 1991, she became the first woman president of the Texas Daily Newspaper Association as well as one of its youngest presidents. She also is vice chairman of the Trinity University Board of Trustees. Trinity University is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences institution noted for its exceptional faculty and commitment to the comprehensive preparation of its talented student body. It is a learning community that has charted its course with a steadfast commitment to excellence since it was founded in 1869. |
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Last updated on April 30, 2003 by the Office of Public Relations |
