UA’s Summer Commencement Exercises

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2000
9 a.m., COLEMAN COLISEUM

SPEAKER

Vivian Malone Jones: UA’s first African-American graduate, Jones enrolled at UA on June 11, 1963, following Gov. George Wallace’s unsuccessful “stand in the schoolhouse door” and in 1965 received her degree in business management. In 1996, she retired after more than 30 years in various federal government positions culminating with her position as director of the Office of Environmental Justice of the Environmental Protection Agency. She currently works with the Atlanta Associates of MONY Life Insurance Company of America. Jones will also receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree at the ceremony.

GRADUATE FEATURE:

THEY’RE NATIONAL CHAMPS – NOW WHAT?

One national championship. Two very different post-win follow-ups.

Graduating Saturday will be two members of UA’s national champion AdTeam. The team won the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) World Series of Advertising competition held recently in Las Vegas, besting such schools as defending champion, UCLA, Indiana University and The University of Texas.

One graduate lands a premiere position with a top advertising firm; while the other takes a more academic route.

Christine Beittel (205/347-6223 or cellular 205/239-3408)

Before winning the championship, Beittel already had an advertising position waiting for her at a Reston, Va. advertising firm, near Washington. D.C. But the win turned out to benefit her more than just the experience itself. “Though I was already offered the job, after our team won the championship in June, they increased my starting offer, which really excited me and made me all the more grateful for the experience,” she said. “Obviously, they liked the fact that I was groomed for many different sides of advertising – not just the design aspect. I learned many other things that helped, including budgeting.”

Jacqueline Godby (205/507-7673 or cellular 205/886-7673)

Jacqueline Godby has decided to temporarily forgo entering the workforce and pursue a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) at UA. “The experience I received from participating on the AdTeam was second to none and having an opportunity to visit The New York Times to present our project was a lifetime thrill,” said Godby. “But now, I want to expand upon my advertising background with a business degree that will allow me to become an even more experienced and valuable advertising account executive in the future. The next year will let me prepare for the MBA curriculum, but I am also looking forward to taking some courses that I am interested in but haven’t had the opportunity to take in the past

Contact

Suzanne Dowling, 205/348-8324Angie Balius (Broadcast Media Only), 205/348-8319Bill McDaniel (Broadcast Media Only), 205/348-8327