May 23, 2002 For Immediate Release

On Friday, May 24th, the University of Northern British Columbia will hold its annual Convocation ceremony. Approximately 550 students will comprise UNBC's ninth graduating class.

• Honorary degrees will be awarded to Slocan Forest Products Founder Ike Barber and First Nations artist Freda Diesing. Born in Prince Rupert and currently residing in Terrace, Ms Diesing has been an artist for forty years, receiving worldwide acclaim for her woodcarvings and totem poles. Mr Barber started Slocan in the late 1970s and received the distinction of being named BC Forester of the Year in 1999.
  
  
• The Governor-General's medals for academic achievement will be awarded to Tanya Whyte (undergraduate - silver) and Shannon Wagner (graduate - gold). Tanya will graduating with a BSc in Chemistry, with minors in Mathematics and Biochemistry. Shannon will be the first person to receive a bachelor's, master's, and now doctoral degree from UNBC. She will also be the first person to receive a PhD in Psychology from UNBC.
  
  
• With this year's graduation, membership in the Alumni Association will top 2900. The alumni have named James Moore their "Alumni of the Year" recipient for 2002. In the last federal election, James was elected as the Alliance MP from Port Moody-Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam and is Canada's youngest Member of Parliament.
  
  
• In addition to the main Convocation ceremony in Prince George, official graduation events will be held in Terrace and Hazelton. Sunday evening (May 26), a dinner and reception will be held in Terrace to recognize the local students graduating with master's degrees in Education and Community Health. On the following day, ten students will be the first to receive UNBC certificates in Gitxan language. That ceremony will begin at 5pm in the Gitanmaaxs Hall.

Convocation festivities will begin tomorrow morning on campus and include the class photo at 10:45am. Following a lunch on campus, the graduation ceremony will begin at 1:30pm at the Prince George Multiplex.