USC Aiken to Hold Commencement Ceremony May 10
May 4, 2007
The University of South Carolina Aiken will hold its Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 10, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. This will be the first graduation ceremony held in the campus’ new Convocation Center.
More than 320 degree candidates are eligible to participate in the ceremony. A ticket is required to attend the ceremony.
Dr. Bassam Zekin Shakhashiriwill deliver the Commencement Address. Shakhashiri, a native of El-Koura, Lebanon, is a professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds the William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea. He is known internationally for his effective leadership in promoting excellence in science education and for his development and use of demonstrations in the teaching of chemistry. He has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and on national and local radio and television including: The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, NBC Nightly News, National Public Radio, CNN, and Larry King Live. He appears as a regular guest on the Ideas Network of Wisconsin Public Radio and on WKOW-TV’s Wake Up Wisconsin.
Shakhashiri directs the Initiative for Science Literacy, a program with two goals: to promote literacy in science, mathematics, and technology among the general public and to attract future generations to careers in these fields. He also is a consultant to government agencies, industry, and private foundations on matters related to education at all levels. Shakhashiri played an integral role in bringing the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center to the USC Aiken campus, and is honored as USC Aiken celebrates the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center. Shakhashiri will be honored at the ceremony with an honorary degree of Doctor of Education.
Melissa Leitzsey, of Newberry, S.C., was recently named the Outstanding Senior Student at USC Aiken and will deliver remarks on behalf of the class of 2007. Leitzsey is graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in communications.
Leitzsey enrolled at USC Aiken in Fall 2004 after graduating from Newberry High School as Valedictorian of her class. She earned 28 hours of college course credit during high school through advanced placement courses, and therefore, has completed her degree requirements in only three years of study at USC Aiken. She has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
Leitzsey is an active member of Alpha Omicron Pi women’s fraternity. She served as editor of Common Knowledge, the Communications Department newsletter, and as news editor and staff writer for Pacer Times, USC Aiken’s student newspaper. She is a member of Lambda Pi Eta, an honor society for communications, and the Order of Omega, an honor society for students active in Greek life.
During Ms. Leitzsey’s tenure as a student, she was awarded the Samuel A. Cothran Journalism Scholarship and the Ernestine B. Law Communications Student of the Year award. Leitzsey has accepted a position as a recruiter for RCS Corporation in Aiken, S.C.
