State chief justice to speak at winter commencement

Shirley S. Abrahamson, Wisconsin Supreme Court chief justice since 1996, will address midyear graduates of the University of Wisconsin–Madison as they commemorate the university’s last commencement before 2000 Sunday, December 19.

About 2,500 students will be eligible to participate in the two ceremonies in the Kohl Center:

• All Ph.D., M.F.A., master’s and professional degree candidates, and bachelor’s degree candidates in agriculture, education, human ecology, and nursing should attend the ceremony at 1 p.m.
• Bachelor’s degree candidates in business, engineering and letters and science will celebrate their graduation at 4 p.m.

“The Kohl Center is a superb venue to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates who are now poised to address the many challenges of the twenty-first century,” says David Musolf, secretary of the faculty.

Chief Justice Abrahamson, who earned her doctor of juridical science degree from the UW Law School, will speak at both ceremonies. She has served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court since 1976, and currently chairs the National Institute of Justice and the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence.

No tickets are required (please note that alcoholic beverages are not permitted). Parking will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in university ramps and lots, and on city streets. Complementary shuttle buses will be available from the east side of the Field House, from the corner of Breese Terrace and University Avenue, and from the north side of Union South. Signs will designate shuttle stops. For more information, contact the UW–Madison Commencement Hotline, (608) 262-9076.