By Mary Lou Hazal
Commerce – It's another big weekend for Texas A&M University-Commerce, with the investiture of President Dr. Dan Jones Friday, plus the groundbreaking for the new Music Building.
The public is invited to join A&M-Commerce faculty, staff, and students at Friday's ceremony and academic convocation in the Ferguson Social Sciences Auditorium.
All classes between 8 a.m. and noon have been cancelled and university offices will be closed from 10 to 11:30 a.m. so employees may attend the ceremony. Classes will resume at noon. KETR will provide live coverage of the investiture ceremony beginning at 10 a.m.
The festivities will continue at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 6 with the groundbreaking ceremony for the new music building, just west of the old student center.
A community-wide celebration will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Sam Rayburn Student Center. Join President and Mrs. Jones in a celebration of faith.
Jones was appointed president by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on July 2008.
Jones comes to A&M-Commerce from Texas A&M International University in Laredo where he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs from 2003 to 2008.
His career in higher education began at Casper College in Casper, Wyo., where he served as English instructor.
Jones went on to serve in several capacities at the University of Houston-Downtown from 1985 to 2002, including dean of University College, interim dean of student affairs, associate dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and associate professor of English.
Born in Bartlesville, Okla., Jones earned bachelor's degrees in magazine journalism and English from the University of Texas at Austin where he graduated with highest honors.
He received a master's degree in English from Rice University and a master's and Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Iowa.
Jones is married to Jalinna Jones and has two daughters Aislinn and Allyson.
For more information on the investiture events, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 903-468-3085 or visit http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/investiture.