UNIVERSITY NEWS - DECEMBER 2003

MEDIA CONTACT: Aileen Izquierdo, 561-297-2442, izquierd@fau.edu
or Andrew LaPlant, 561-297-3022, alaplant@fau.edu

FAU To Celebrate Fall Commencement

BOCA RATON, FL (December 9, 2003) – More than 2,100 students will receive their diplomas from Florida Atlantic University during two fall commencement ceremonies on Friday, December 12. The ceremonies are scheduled for 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. These students will join more than 84,000 alumni who have graduated from FAU since the University opened its doors nearly 40 years ago.

“Commencement is a proud moment for the university,” said FAU President Frank T. Brogan, ’81. “These students have worked hard to pursue their dreams, and it is an honor to celebrate this special day with them and their loved ones.”

FAU’s fall commencement ceremony will highlight the accomplishments of one of its alumni as the National Alumni Association presents its Hall of Fame Award to Dr. Helga Rippen, deputy director of the National Health Information department in the Office of the Secretary for Health and Human Services. A graduate of FAU who earned her bachelor of science in mechanical engineering in 1981, Rippen developed a population disease management software system to help patients actively manage their chronic medical conditions. She has also led efforts to develop prototype applications in disease prevention and patient support, including “CancerDesk,” an Internet physician-patient platform for patients with breast and prostate cancer for health care delivery organizations.

FAU’s fall commencement will also highlight the accomplishments of several outstanding students, including:

Lorraine Silverman, at the age of 75, is FAU’s oldest graduate for fall commencement. Silverman received an AA degree 22 years ago, but always had a lifelong dream to finish her undergraduate degree and is doing so by graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

Lisa Barnum will earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration, but her degree has many more experiences than the typical graduate. Barnum has gone through a tracheotomy, in which she was told by her doctors that she would probably not live long enough to graduate from college. After overcoming that obstacle, she now has a family and runs her own business. She plans to continue her education and earn an MBA.

Commencement for all of FAU’s colleges will be held in FAU’s gymnasium, 777 Glades Road.
The ceremony will be cybercasted at www.fau.edu.
- FAU -