More than 890 graduates will receive degrees from Elon University at commencement exercises Saturday, May 25. The ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. under the oaks in front of West Residence Hall. The 112th commencement exercises are the first for Elon since it completed the transition from college to university status in June 2001.
Elon philosophy professor John Sullivan will deliver the commencement address. A member of the Elon faculty for more than 30 years, Sullivan has served as the university’s standby commencement speaker since 1980. When this year’s scheduled speaker, former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison, cancelled her appearance in April due to a family illness, Sullivan was chosen to give the address.
Sullivan has been recognized as one of Elon’s top teachers. He won the Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in teaching, Elon’s highest teaching honor, in 1980, and was named Maude Sharpe Powell Professor of Philosophy in 1985. He was the first recipient of that endowed chair.
Sullivan is co-founder of the School of Philosophy and Healing in Action (SOPHIA) at the Traditional Acupuncture Institute in Columbia, Md. The program teaches people how to incorporate ancient Chinese healing traditions into everyday life.
The baccalaureate ceremony will be held at 3 p.m., Friday, May 24 in Alumni Memorial Gymnasium in Koury Center. The speaker is the Rev. John H. Thomas, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ.
Elon Fellows graduates will be honored in a Friday pre-graduation ceremony called “Leaders for the 21st Century.” Certificates will be given to students who are graduating as North Carolina Teaching Fellows, Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellows, Elon Science Fellows, Social Science Scholars, Arts and Humanities Scholars, Jefferson-Pilot Business Fellows and Elon Honors Fellows. The ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. in McKinnon Hall.