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UMUC held the last of this year’s seven commencements on June 15, 2002, in Okinawa, Japan. While most colleges and universities spend close to a year planning one commencement, Maryland’s "global university" does it all—booking keynote speakers, inviting stage guests, granting honorary degrees, writing scripts, arranging security, hiring sign-language interpreters, and shepherding hundreds upon hundreds of graduates—seven times over.

To its cadre of distinguished speakers and honorary degree recipients—which already includes vice presidents of the United States, chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, state and U.S. senators, Nobel Prize winners, corporate CEOs, and noted historians and authors—this year UMUC added two four-star generals, two US ambassadors, a senator, and last but not least, the executive editor of TIME magazine. Here are a few of the highlights.

Tokyo, Japan

The Honorable Howard Baker Jr., US ambassador to Japan since July 2001, was the keynote speaker at the Tokyo commencement ceremony, where he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Baker has had a distinguished career in public service, having served in the US House of Representatives from 1951 to 1964, and then, beginning in 1966, serving for 18 years in the US Senate, representing the state of Tennessee. In the Senate, he was both Republican Minority Leader (from 1977 to 1981) and Senate Majority Leader (from 1981 to 1985) until he retired. Subsequently, he served as White House Chief of Staff under President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and 1988.

Mannheim, Germany

Rod Risley, executive director of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two-year colleges, delivered the keynote address at UMUC’s residential campus in Mannheim, Germany. The Mannheim campus became a Phi Theta Kappa member in 1987 with the establishment of the Alpha Nu Alpha chapter.

Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany

Several UMUC faculty members took center stage at UMUC’s last commencement in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The campus closed at the end of the spring 2002 semester for financial reasons. It was with special pride, then, that these last graduates crossed the commencement stage.

Adelphi, Maryland

Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen delivered the keynote address to a crowd of more than 10,000 in Cole Field House, following a touching tribute to the men and women from the UMUC family who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11.

Seoul, Korea

The Honorable Thomas C. Hubbard, US Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, addressed US servicemembers at the commencement ceremony in Seoul. Prior to his appointment as ambassador, Hubbard served as principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. An East Asian specialist, he served in a variety of diplomatic roles in Japan, Malaysia, and Manila.

Heidelberg, Germany

US Air Force General Gregory S. Martin, commander for both US Air Forces in Europe and NATO’s Allied Air Forces Northern Europe, was the keynote speaker at UMUC commencement ceremonies in Heidelberg. The general commanded the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, the 479th Tactical Training Wing, and the 33rd and 1st Fighter Wings. He also served as the Joint Staff’s J-8 vice director and the Air Force’s director of operational requirements. Before assuming his current position, he was the principal deputy with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. Martin is a command pilot with more than 3,200 flying hours in various aircraft, and flew 161 combat missions in Southeast Asia.

Okinawa, Japan

Adi Ignatius, executive editor of TIME magazine, addressed UMUC graduates at commencement exercises in Okinawa, Japan. Ignatius, who lived for many years in Japan, broke many lead stories while working for The Asian Wall Street Journal, including reports on North Korea’s use of Macau as a center for its Asian espionage activities. While serving as the paper’s Beijing bureau chief from 1987 to 1990, he covered the student movement and demonstrations that led ultimately to the incidents in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Subsequently, Ignatius was the paper’s Moscow bureau chief. During the next three years, he traveled throughout the former U.S.S.R. covering the breakup of the former Soviet Empire and the many turbulent events associated with the breakup.