Approximately 1,900 students are expected to participate in UNLV's 2002 spring commencement ceremonies on May 18.

Interim UNLV registrar Judy Belanger estimates that 2,000 students will be eligible to participate in the ceremonies. For the sixth year, UNLV will have two separate spring commencement ceremonies.

The 9 a.m. ceremony will be for graduates of the colleges of Business, Education, Engineering, and Hotel Administration.

Students graduating from the colleges of Fine Arts, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts, Sciences, Urban Affairs, and Extended Studies, as well as the Law School, will participate in the 2 p.m. ceremony.

Both ceremonies will take place in the Thomas & Mack Center. No tickets are required.

People attending the ceremonies are asked to arrive one hour before the scheduled start time. All bags brought into the center are subject to search. Persons with disabilities are asked to use the main Thomas & Mack entrance, located near the box office on the ground floor, bringing only one guest with them to this entrance. Ushers will be stationed there to escort them to special reserved seating.

Following each ceremony, individual college receptions will take place. Location information on each reception will appear in the program distributed at the commencement ceremonies or may be obtained by calling the individual colleges.

During the ceremonies, honorary doctor of humane letters degrees will be bestowed upon Mandalay Resort Group president and chief financial officer Glenn Schaeffer and upon award-winning film director George Sidney. Receiving President's Medals will be community philanthropist Joyce Mack; state Sen. Joe Neal, who has served longer in the Nevada Senate than anyone else in history; J.A. Tiberti, chairman of the board of J.A. Tiberti Construction Co., a firm whose projects have included 10 buildings at UNLV; and Claudine Williams, chairman of the board of Harrah's Las Vegas.

Being named as Distinguished Nevadans are J. Terrance Lanni, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of MGM Mirage, and Dr. William Pearson, longtime Southern Nevada dentist and former Las Vegas city councilman and Clark County commissioner.

Also being named Distinguished Nevadans are James and Alice Smalley. James Smalley is a retired teacher and former Nevada assemblyman. Alice Smalley is a retired nurse. Both have been active in Henderson civic affairs.

UNLV anthropology professor Martha Knack and English professor Mark Weinstein will be recognized for their recent designation as distinguished professors. This designation, which is not bestowed every year, is given to those faculty members who have demonstrated extraordinary qualities as teachers and scholars. Knack, a faculty member since 1977, is an expert on Southern Nevada's Paiute Indians. Weinstein, who joined the faculty in 1970, specializes in 19th century British literature, including the works of Sir Walter Scott.

A hotline message containing additional details about commencement may be reached by calling 895-3229.