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NEWS RELEASE

12-18-01

Contacts:
Steve Sullivan, News Service, (515) 294-3720

RUAN TO RECEIVE HONORARY DEGREE FROM ISU

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University's fall commencement events will be held Dec. 21-22.

The university will give Des Moines businessman and humanitarian John Ruan an honorary doctorate of humane letters during the undergraduate ceremony.

An estimated 366 graduate students (93 doctoral and 273 master's) will be honored during the graduate commencement ceremony at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, in Stephens Auditorium. President Gregory Geoffroy will give the commencement address.

An anticipated 1,345 undergraduate students will receive their degrees during a 1 p.m. ceremony Saturday, Dec. 22, in Hilton Coliseum. Geoffroy also will speak at this ceremony. Tickets are not needed for either of the two graduation ceremonies.

All the undergraduate colleges will hold their own receptions Friday evening or Saturday morning to honor their students.

Iowa State is honoring Ruan particularly for leading the World Food Prize Foundation, a Des Moines-based group whose aim is to both bring attention to the challenge of feeding the world's growing population and recognize significant advances in the capacity to grow food. When General Foods withdrew its sponsorship of the three-year-old prize in 1989, Ruan assumed its sponsorship.

Ruan started in business in 1932, at the age of 18, with a single truck. Ruan Transportation Management Systems has become one of the country's largest trucking operations. Ruan Companies, of which he is chairman and CEO, includes other businesses: commercial banks and financial services, real estate development and international trading. Ruan built downtown Des Moines' Ruan Center, Marriott Hotel and Two Ruan Center, and also was involved in developing and building the Des Moines Convention Center.

His generosity has extended to Ames, where he has supported Iowa State, the College of Agriculture and the athletic department.

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Fall commencement
Dec. 21-22
Friday, December 21

5 p.m., Ceremony, College of Business, for graduate and undergraduate students, Hilton
5 p.m., Ceremony, College of Education, undergraduate students (6: 30 p.m. reception), first floor lobby, Scheman
5:30-7 p.m., Reception, College of Engineering, graduate students, 220 Scheman
8 p.m., Commencement, graduate students, no tickets needed, Stephens
9:15-10:15 p.m., Reception, College of Education, graduate students, first floor lobby, Scheman

Saturday, December 22

8:30 a.m., Reception, College of Agriculture (9:30 a.m., ceremony), undergraduate students, Stephens
8:30 a.m., Reception, College of Family and Consumer Sciences (9:30 a.m., ceremony), undergraduate students, Sun Room, Memorial Union
9-10:30 a.m., Reception, College of Engineering, undergraduate students, Fisher Theater and Scheman
9:30 a.m., Reception, College of Design (10 a.m., ceremony), undergraduate students, Design atrium
9:30 a.m., Ceremony, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, undergraduate students, Hilton
1 p.m., Commencement, undergraduate students, no tickets needed, Hilton

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