Odysseys begin for new graduates
Under the tent on the Homewood campus's Keyser quadrangle, some 979 seniors will graduate on Thursday, May 25, each of them about to embark on a unique journey. Here are the stories of four soon-to-be Hopkins graduates, whose next adventures will touch other lives in the Rio Grande River Valley, Eritrea, Korea and Ghana. Full story...

Ceremonies put cap on 124th year
In the face of superstition, The Johns Hopkins University held its first commencement ceremony on the 13th of June 1878. It was by preference a humble and private affair held at Hopkins Hall, the university's first home, located in downtown Baltimore at the corner of Howard and Centre streets.
   The graduating class was a modest group of four, who included Josiah Royce, who went on to become a William James disciple and renowned Idealist philosopher.
   To notify all "officers and students" of the ceremony, President Daniel Coit Gilman the day before sent out a succinct, handwritten memo, stating, "The degree of Doctor of Philosophy will be conferred on those candidates who have passed all their examinations."
   He added, "The ceremony will be very brief." Full story...

University salutes outstanding teachers
Teaching is an art that requires patience, skill and, oftentimes, a good dose of creativity. To recognize those who excel in this artistry, the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association since 1992 has sponsored the Excellence in Teaching Awards so that each academic division of the university might publicly recognize the critical importance of teaching.
   Each year the Alumni Council provides funds to each school--this year the amount was $2,000--that can be given to one winner, shared by up to four or attached to another, divisional teaching award. The nomination and selection process differs by school, but students must be involved in the selection process. Full story...

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