Alumnae to speak at spring commencement ceremonies

Two high-powered alumnae will speak at the university’s spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18, at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson will deliver the charge to the graduates at the 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies on Saturday, May 17.

Abrahamson received a bachelor’s degree from New York University. She earned her law degree from the Indiana University Law School and her Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) degree from the UW–Madison Law School.

She was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in August 1976 to fill a vacancy created by the death of the court’s chief justice. She was elected to a full term in 1979, then re-elected in 1989 and 1999. She became chief justice on Aug. 1, 1996, upon the retirement of Chief Justice Roland Day.

Before joining the state’s highest court, Abrahamson practiced law in Madison and was a professor at the Law School. She received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Wisconsin Alumni Association in 1994.

Speaking at the 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies on Sunday, May 18, will be Kay Koplovitz, a pioneer in cable TV networks and new media. She founded the USA Networks and was the first woman to serve as president of a television network.

Koplovitz is the CEO of Koplovitz and Co., which provides advisory services to entertainment companies, sports organizations, advertisers and distributors, and advises companies on growth strategies.

She currently is chair of the board of Liz Claiborne Inc. and previously served on the boards of such corporations as Instinet, Oracle, Nabisco and General Re. She is a trustee of the Paley Center for Media, the Central Park Conservancy and the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Koplovitz co-created Springboard Enterprises, a national organization that fosters venture capital investments in women-led high-growth companies. She co-founded Boldcap Ventures, a venture capital fund backed exclusively by leading women executives that invests principally in early- to mid-stage companies in the media, technology and health care sectors.

The Milwaukee native earned a bachelor of science degree in radio, TV and film from UW–Madison and a master’s degree in communications from Michigan State University.

There are five commencement ceremonies, each lasting approximately 90 minutes. They will be streamed live and will be accessible via the university’s Web site. Windows Media Player and a broadband connection are required to view the ceremonies. Viewing will not be available until the start time of each ceremony.

The ceremonies are scheduled as follows:

• Friday, May 16, 5:30 p.m.: All doctoral and professional degrees (includes Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Musical Arts, Doctor of Juridical Science, Juris Doctor, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Audiology, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Laws, Master of Legal Institutions, Master of Physical Therapy, Master of Public Health).
• Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, School of Education, Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, School of Human Ecology, School of Medicine and Public Health, School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy.
• Saturday, May 17, 2008, 2 p.m.: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the School of Business and College of Engineering
• Sunday, May 18, 10 a.m.: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Letters and Science majors A through H (African Languages and Literature through History of Science)
• Sunday, May 18, 2 p.m.: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Letters and Science majors I through Z (International Public Affairs through Zoology).

Approximately 5,000 students are eligible to receive degrees from UW–Madison each spring. The exact number will not be known until sometime this summer.