More than 4,100 students will be eligible to take part in UNLV's commencement ceremonies, set for May 16 on the university campus.

UNLV officials estimate that about 1,200 students per ceremony actually will walk across the stage in the two commencement ceremonies that will take place that day. Students who completed their studies during the summer of 1997, in December 1997, or in May 1998 are eligible to participate.

Both of this year's two commencement ceremonies will be held at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The first ceremony, scheduled for 9 a.m., will be for students of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, the College of Extended Studies, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Sciences, the College of Fine Arts, and the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs.

At 1:30 p.m., students from the College of Business, the College of Education, the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, and the College of Health Sciences will graduate.

Students in the Graduate College will participate with the colleges from which they are earning their degrees.

Each ceremony is expected to last approximately two hours. The ceremonies are open to the public. No tickets are required.

Don Schmiedel, who chairs the university's commencement committee said of the new format, "We want to bring the UNLV community together for commencement, but at the same time keep the ceremonies to a reasonable length for students and their families."

The ceremonies will be student-centered and will feature the reading of each graduate's name as the graduate walks across the stage. Additionally, special accomplishments of some students will be noted, he said.

Following each ceremony, the colleges that were part of that ceremony will host separate receptions for graduates and their families.

As part of the ceremonies, the recipients of the 1998 Distinguished Nevadan Award, honorary doctorate, and President's Medal will be recognized.

Receiving the Distinguished Nevadan Award will be community activist Ruby Duncan; local businessman Wing Fong and his wife, former Regent Lilly Fong; Nevada First Lady Sandy Miller; Vega Enterprises owner Ray Vega; and Melvin Wolzinger, president and CEO of Alstate Enterprises.

John Goolsby, president and CEO of the Howard Hughes Corp., will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. Architectural designers Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown will receive honorary doctor of letters degrees.

Prominent local businesswoman and leading UNLV supporter Kitty Rodman will be honored with the President's Medal.

For additional information about Commencement 1998, call Schmiedel at 895-3448.