Commencement Set for May 3 at JU
4/15/08
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University will bestow degrees on more than 500 students at the annual commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 3, 2008. Commencement will begin at 9:30 a.m. on the Science Green, behind the Howard Building in the heart of JU’s campus.
Armando Codina, the president and CEO of Flagler Development Group, a subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries, will deliver the keynote address and will receive an honorary doctor of business and commerce degree. Codina was chairman, CEO and founder of Codina Group, which merged with Florida East Coast Industries in 2006. Flagler Development Group owns, leases and manages millions of square feet of office and industrial space in Jacksonville, Orlando and Miami. 
During the past 15 years, Codina has received numerous honors, including being named the Florida Council on Economic Education’s Free Enterpriser of the Year; Developer of the Year by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties; and Entrepreneur of the Year by Florida International University. Wharton School has named him Office Developer of the Year, Shopping Center Developer of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year. He has also received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the American Red Cross. In 2002, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce recognized Codina Group as the #1 Private Hispanic Company in Florida and in 2003 honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. South Florida CEO magazine honored him as 2003 Business Leader of the Year and in 2004, the Beacon Council honored him with the Jay Malina Award. In June 2005, Codina was awarded the Merage Foundation’s National Leadership Award for Leadership in the Business Community.
The graduates will include 505 undergraduates receiving bachelor’s degrees, and 158 of those are nursing students. Master’s degrees will be bestowed on 98 graduate students, including 49 in business administration, 11 in nursing and 38 in education.
The University’s Navy ROTC Program will commission 18 graduating seniors – 16 as Navy ensigns and 2 as second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. JU’s NROTC program also serves students at the University of North Florida and Florida Community College at Jacksonville.
Graduates who have achieved perfect 4.0 grade point averages will be honored with the prestigious Fred B. Noble Medal for Scholarship. The University will also present two prominent service awards – the Presidential Award for Leadership and the Presidential Award for Service.
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