ELON COLLEGE – Dr. Leo M. Lambert will be installed as Elon College’s eighth president at an inaugural convocation Sept. 15.
Lambert, 44, the former provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, took office Jan. 1.
North Carolina Gov. James B. Hunt will give the keynote address at the convocation, which begins at 10:30 a.m. in Koury Center. A procession of alumni delegates will represent each graduating class in Elon’s 110-year history. Colleges and higher education organizations from across the nation have also been invited to send official delegates. An outdoor luncheon will follow the celebration.
Lambert, describes the inaugural celebration as an inclusive event with a focus on the college’s future in the 21st century. “This is a time for students, faculty and staff to join with alumni and friends of Elon to honor our rich history and anticipate our future as one of the nation’s leading educational institutions.”
Inauguration festivities begin Sunday, Sept. 12 with an ecumenical worship service with local church congregations. The service will begin at 11 a.m. in Koury Center.
An academic colloquium on the vitality of general studies for a new century will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13 in McCrary Theatre. Leading the discussion is Jerry G. Gaff, vice president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and several Elon faculty members. Also on Monday, Marguerite Gignoux, the 1999 Dwight Merrimon Davidson Visiting Artist, will be honored during a 5:30 p.m. -7 p.m. reception in the Isabella Cannon Room in the Faith Rockefeller Model Center for the Arts. Gignoux’s exhibit includes sewn and woven collages, art quilts and fiber arts.
On Tuesday, Sept. 14, the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra will present a concert at 8 p.m. in McCrary Theatre. Tickets are $15 and seating is limited.
The dedication of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library will be held at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15 on the lawn in front of the library. The new 75,000-square facility, which incorporates the traditional library collection with electronic information capabilities, will open later this fall.
Lambert, a Scotia, N.Y., native has a bachelor’s degree in English from the State University of New York at Geneseo, a master’s of education from the University of Vermont in Burlington and a doctorate in education from Syracuse University. He began his career in higher education as a lecturer at the University of Vermont in Burlington and as assistant director of the university’s Living/Learning Center.
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