By Eugene Hughes
NAU President Emeritus
Two of the most exciting ceremonies in the history of any university are those of commencement and inauguration.
Although generally thought of as the end of a student’s academic career, commencement is actually the beginning of the next phase of a person’s career. He or she is then able to capitalize on the formal and informal education that has been experienced over the years and apply it to their chosen profession.
The inauguration of a new president is an exciting time in the history of one of the oldest institutions in the world: the university. This ceremony formally establishes the inauguration of a new set of ideas in the history of that particular university.
The incumbent is able to move the institution forward by capitalizing on the successes, and in some cases, the failures of predecessors. The formal inauguration ceremony offers a time for renewal and a vision for the future of one of society’s greatest institutions.
In the case of NAU, everyone is excited to be able to call Dr. Rita Hartung Cheng our President. Since arriving in August she has been on the run, promoting NAU throughout the state and will be doing so into the future. Hallelujah!
Dr. Eugene Hughes served as president of Northern Arizona University from 1979-1993.