EUGENE, Ore. – (June 15, 2012) – Frances Bronet, dean of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts at the University of Oregon, will present the Lawrence Medal to alumnus Ranachith Yimsut during the 2012 commencement beginning at 3 p.m. Monday, June 18, on the southeast lawn of the Erb Memorial Union, 1222 E. 13th Ave. Nearly 500 students are graduating from A&AA this year.
The Lawrence Medal is the highest alumni honor given by A&AA. Yimsut, a 1988 bachelor of landscape architecture graduate, works as a senior landscape architect with the U.S. Forest Service and is founder, chairman and program director of Bakong Technical College in Cambodia.
A survivor of the Killing Fields, Kimsut is also a human rights activist whose work has merited attention from human rights organizations and documentary filmmakers including CBS News, NBC News, PBS, and National Geographic Explorer. His 2011 memoir, “Facing the Khmer Rouge: A Cambodian Journey,” was introduced as evidence in November 2011 during a United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh.
The Ellis F. Lawrence Award, in the form of a bronze medal and certificate, is awarded each year to a living A&AA alumni whose professional and personal achievements embody the integrity, educational philosophy, and commitment to one’s chosen field as exemplified by Ellis Lawrence, founder of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts. During his career, Lawrence designed five hundred commercial and residential buildings, including twenty-five buildings on campus. Previous winners of the medal include film director James Ivory, Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield, and Getty Trust director James Cuno.
More than 2,000 guests are expected for the A&AA commencement. No tickets are necessary but seating is limited. Immediately afterward, graduates and guests are invited to the Lawrence Hall courtyard, 1190 Franklin Blvd., for a reception.
Free shuttle service from the Autzen Stadium parking lot to the main campus will be available. For guests unable to walk to the site, an ADA-accessible shuttle service is available. For questions about the A&AA ceremony, visit http://aaa.uoregon.edu/events/commencement or contact the A&AA Dean’s Office at (541) 346-3632.
Contact:Marti Gerdes, A&AA Communications, (541) 346-6094, martig@uoregon.edu
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