Media Relations
Press Release:
MEDIA
CONTACT:
Kristine
M. Gobbo
561-297-1168,
kgobbo@fau.edu
or
Lisa Metcalf
561-297-3022,
lmetcalf@fau.edu
FAU to Host Inauguration of
Dr. Mary Jane Saunders
BOCA
RATON, FL (October 13, 2010)
–
Florida Atlantic University will host the inauguration installation
ceremony of Dr. Mary Jane Saunders, FAU’s sixth
president, on Friday, October 29 at 10 a.m. in the Carole and Barry
Kaye Auditorium, FAU’s Student Union, 777 Glades Road, Boca
Raton campus. The installation ceremony is part of a weeklong
series of events that begin on Sunday, October 24 and conclude on
Saturday, October 30. The inaugural celebration intertwines with
the university’s Homecoming festivities.
“It is such a privilege to be the sixth president of Florida
Atlantic University,” said Saunders. “I continue my
commitment to support students in helping them achieve academic
success, to work together with faculty and staff in the pursuit of
new goals and to engage the community as we take FAU to the next
level of excellence.”
Themed
Making
Waves
:
Celebrating and Cultivating Discovery, Diversity and
Distinction,
the
inauguration is designed to introduce the president to the
University’s constituents and provide a platform for the
expression of the president’s vision for the future of FAU.
It also is an opportunity for the entire university community to
welcome her.
The
University’s Board of Trustees determined the scope and
timing of the inauguration, and initiated the planning process by
appointing a committee to oversee all aspects of the event, which
was led by the co-chairs of the inauguration committee, BOT
Member Sherry Plymale and Dr. Mary Ann Gosser-Esquil
ín
,
professor in FAU’s department of
languages, linguistics and comparative literature
.
“The inauguration installation ceremony marks an important
day in the history of FAU, as we celebrate Dr. Mary Jane Saunders
as the University’s sixth president,” said Plymale.
“This significant university ritual represents the honor of
tradition and leadership, and the events surrounding it really
highlight the strengths and diversity of FAU.”
Saunders was named FAU’s sixth president by unanimous vote of
the FAU Board of Trustees on March 3. She began her term of service
on June 7, 2010. Prior to her arrival at FAU, Saunders was
provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Cleveland
State University, where she also was founding dean of the College
of Science, director of the Biomedical and Health Institute, and a
professor in the department of biological, geological and
environmental sciences. Her professional background also
includes academic appointments at the National Science Foundation,
the University of South Florida, Louisiana State University and the
University of Georgia. She is an award-winning cell biology
researcher, educator and academic leader who is known nationally
for her commitment to public higher education. A native of
Worcester, Massachusetts, Saunders holds a B.S. in biology from
Boston University and both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in botany from the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Saunders is
married to Dr. George Newkome, a distinguished polymer science and
chemistry research professor.
For more information on FAU’s inaugural activities and a
listing of events, visit
www.fau.edu/inauguration
.
-FAU-
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students on seven campuses and sites. Building on its rich tradition as a teaching university, with a world-class faculty, FAU hosts 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering & Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. For more information, visit www.fau.edu .
