Saturday, April 23, 2005
MEADVILLE, Pa. -- Acclaimed American lyric soprano Dawn Upshaw will present Allegheny College's 2005 commencement address at 10 a.m. May 15.
Upshaw, who will receive an honorary doctor of arts, is featured on more than 50 recordings and has won three Grammy Awards. Celebrated worldwide for her work as a member of New York's Metropolitan Opera, she is also an accomplished recitalist and champion of contemporary music.
She was a close friend of the late Bill Crofut, a noted musician and a 1958 graduate of Allegheny College.
Commencement will be held on Bentley Lawn or in the Wise Center Sports Forum, depending on weather conditions.
In other news, officials announced that renovations are scheduled to begin this summer for the Doane Hall of Art, home of the college's art department.
The first phase of construction has been awarded to Gilcon and Associates of Meadville, for $560,000. The architect is Springboard, a Pittsburgh firm. Phase two is under design and the estimated cost is $275,000.
The renovations are being financed in part by contributions of Allegheny alumni. The improvements parallel other ongoing renovation projects, such as the architectural restoration of Cochran Hall, which was made possible by the $5 million donation from 1956 graduate Patricia Bush Tippie and her husband, Henry. The Tippie Alumni Center is scheduled for completion this fall.