Lavender Graduation 2013
Thursday, April 25
Fisher Colloquium, Rafik B. Hariri Building
 

Ceremony 5:00-7:00pm
Dinner & Reception 7:00-9:00pm

 

Lavender Graduation is a special ceremony for LGBTQ and Ally undergraduate and graduate students to acknowledge their achievements, contributions, and unique experiences at Georgetown University.

This is an opportunity to celebrate the graduating students and bring the community together, along with our distinguished guests, to share in our history and progress among friends.

 

2013 Keynote Speaker


Daniel R. Porterfield, Ph.D., has served as Franklin & Marshall’s president since March 2011. His priorities include enhancing academic excellence, recruiting extraordinary students from the full American mosaic, responding creatively to students’ holistic needs, and helping young alums continue their trajectories of growth.

He is active in education reform, serving on the Board of Directors of the Cristo Rey Network and developing partnerships with Teach For America, the KIPP Network, the National College Advising Corps, and the Lancaster, Pa. Public Schools District.

Dr. Porterfield graduated from Georgetown in 1983 and from Oxford in 1986 as a Rhodes Scholar. He earned a Ph.D. in 1995 from The Graduate Center of The City University of New York as a Mellon Fellow in the Humanities.

As a Georgetown student and young alum, he founded the After School Kids Program and the DC Schools Project. After working as a senior aide to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, he returned to Georgetown in 1996 and held a series of roles over fourteen years that included teaching English courses, leading Georgetown’s Public Affairs work, living as a faculty member in-residence in Copley Hall for eight years, and even serving for a year as interim Director of Athletics.

In 2007-08, Dr. Porterfield and Vice President of Institutional Diversity Rosemary Kilkenny were asked by President John J. DeGioia to develop and coordinate Georgetown’s highly successful LGBTQ Initiative. The inclusive process they led resulted in the establishment of the LGBTQ Resource Center and the recruitment of Shiva Subbaraman in 2008.

An active teacher of English courses dealing with social justice and human rights, often in tandem with President DeGioia and Professor of Government Anthony Arend, Dr. Porterfield received the College and School of Foreign Service faculty excellence awards in 2008 and 2010, and the Dorothy M. Brown Award in 2003.
A native of Baltimore, Dr. Porterfield is married to Karen Herrling (C ’84, GULC ’90) an advocacy attorney in state and local enforcement of immigrant rights. They have three children.
 

2013 Schedule


Invocation
Rabbi Rachel Gartner
Director, Jewish Chaplaincy

Welcome
Todd Olson, Ph.D.
Vice President, Division of Student Affairs

President's Remarks
John J. DeGioia, Ph.D., Col '79, Grad '95
President, Georgetown University

Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Jennifer Nguyen, Col ’09, Grd ’14

Keynote Speaker
Dr. Dan Porterfield, Col ’83
President, Franklin & Marshall College

Presentation of Awards
Lavender Graduation Committees

Recognition of Graduates

Closing Remarks
Dennis A. Williams
Associate Dean of Students & Director, CMEA

Closing Reception

 

2013 Celebration Partners


Office of the President
Office of the Provost
Office of Mission & Ministry
Alumni Association
School of Medicine
Georgetown University Law Center
Nursing & Health Studies
School of Continuing Studies
McDonough School of Business
Division of Student Affairs
 

Lavender Graduation History


Lavender Graduation builds on the university-wide commencement events as an officially supported ceremony celebrating and recognizing the contributions and achievements of our LGBTQ and ally seniors to the Georgetown community. The event is held prior to the academic commencement ceremony to facilitate underclassmen participation before the conclusion of the academic year.

The tradition of Lavender Graduation began at the University of Michigan in 1995 with just three graduates. By 2001, there were over 45 institutions were holding Lavender Graduation Ceremonies and the tradition continues to expand to additional colleges and universities across the country.

The color lavender plays a historic role in LGBTQ history and in the community.  It's a combination of the colors pink and black which were once used to identify and  discriminate against gays and lesbians.  The LGBTQ community has reclaimed lavender as symbol of pride and community.
 

 
Division of Student Affairs, Georgetown University