Delegates, including 13 presidents, representing more than 60 colleges, universities and higher education consortia from across the country, MIT, Stanford and Yale among them, will participate in the inaugural procession along with Lawrence faculty,trustees and alumni.
Terry Franke, chair of the Lawrence Board of Trustees, will deliver the inauguration’s welcome. Community greetings will be presented by Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna.
Additional remarks will be delivered by Shirley Tilghman, president emerita and professor of molecular biology at Princeton University, Burstein’s previous institution, and Catharine Bond Hill, president and professor of economics at Vassar College, Burstein’s alma mater. Other program speakers include faculty, student and alumni representatives.
Burstein will present the inaugural address “Frontier: A State of Mind.”
The inauguration ceremonies will be available via live webcast.
“A presidential inauguration is a special moment in any college’s history and Mark’s is certainly an exciting and important one for Lawrence,” said Franke, a 1968 Lawrence graduate. “This is really an occasion to celebrate the college’s past and excitingly look to its future. A change in leadership naturally inspires optimism and brings a dynamic new energy to the institution.”
The inauguration ceremony is free and open to the public, but a ticket is required. Contact the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.
Inaugurations of college and university presidents trace their roots to 17th-century America. The custom was established by the country’s nine colonial colleges as a way of formally acknowledging a change in leadership at a school’s highest level within a context of tradition and continuity.
As part of the weekend festivities, Lawrence will hold a pair of panel discussions on Friday, Oct. 25 in Stansbury Theatre of the Music Drama Center — “Civil Communities in an Age of Incivility” and “The Issue of Difference and the Liberal Arts” — at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.
ABC News Chief Foreign Correspondent and 1982 Lawrence graduate Terry Moran, fresh off assignment in Syria, will serve as moderator of the first panel. Admission to the panel discussions is free, but a ticket is required and can be obtained through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.
Lawrence’s vast and varied musical talents will be on full display Friday (10/25) evening in a unique format. Visitors are invited to enjoy a leisurely stroll around campus and experience the distinct sounds of the Conservatory of Music. From funk and rock to classical and jazz, talented musicians will perform in familiar as well as non-traditional campus venues. Continuous performances will be conducted from 8-10 p.m. at these locations:
• Main Hall Portico—brass
• Music-Drama Center—classical and jazz
• Science Hall Atrium—winds
• Memorial Hall and Viking Room—funk and rock
• Seeley G. Mudd Library—acoustic, bluegrass and singer/songwriter
• Wriston Art Center Galleries—chamber music
Specific information for “Lawrence Performs” will be available in the lobby of the Music-Drama Center.
The inauguration weekend wraps up on Sunday with members of the Lawrence community volunteering from 11 a.m-3 p.m. at Riverview Gardens, Appleton’s urban garden.
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.
