UNL News Releases 12/09/99




WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 18, 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Bob Devaney Sports Center, 1600 Court St.
CONTACT: Annette Wetzel, Public Relations - (402) 472-8524

GALLUP'S CLIFTON IS UNL COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

Lincoln (Neb.) - Dec. 9, 1999 - Donald Clifton, chair of the Gallup Organization, will give the address at University of Nebraska-Lincoln commencement exercises Dec. 18 at Bob Devaney Sports Center, 1600 Court St.

Chancellor James Moeser will preside over the ceremony, which begins at 9:30 a.m. Approximately 1,400 students will receive degrees.

A separate hooding ceremony for students who have earned doctoral degrees will take place Dec. 17 beginning at 3:30 p.m. in Kimball Recital Hall, 12th and R streets. The ceremony will be followed by a reception at Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery. Doctoral candidates will receive their diplomas at the Dec. 18 commencement exercises.

Clifton earned a doctorate in educational psychology at the University of Nebraska, where he later served as a professor and taught for 19 years. In 1969, he resigned from the university to found Selection Research Inc., which acquired The Gallup Organization in 1988. The company is best-known for the Gallup Poll and has offices worldwide. Clifton has published many articles in professional and trade journals and in October 1992 published the book, "Soar With Your Strengths," which he co- authored. He received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from UNL in 1990.

Vinod Gupta will be recognized with an honorary doctorate in humane letters. Gupta is the chief executive officer of Info USA Inc. in Omaha, which he founded as American Business Information Inc. The company creates business lists and databases for various industries.

A native of India, Gupta has made education a primary beneficiary of his expertise and charitable contributions. He funded the Vinod Gupta School of Management at the Indian Institute of Technology and established the Gupta Institute for Enterprise Development at the UNL College of Business Administration. The institute helped insure that the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship was selected as one of the top 25 entrepreneurship programs in the country. Gupta holds a bachelor of science degree from the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, and a master of science degree in engineering and a master of business administration from UNL.

A drop-off area for graduates and mobility-restricted guests will be available on the south side of the Devaney Center. Special seating will be reserved for disabled guests attending commencement. Sign language interpreters for the hearing-impaired will be in section B-12 on the west side of the arena. A limited number of seats will be reserved for hearing-impaired guests. Reserved seats for guests who are ambulatory-restricted will be available in the north and south sides of the arena. Guests in wheelchairs will be seated on the northeast corner of the arena floor. Golf carts will be available at the ramps on the exterior north and south sides of the Devaney Center to assist disabled guests entering and leaving the building.


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For questions regarding these releases, contact:
tsimons@unlinfo.unl.ed u
(402) 472-8514, Fax: (402) 472-7825