The University of the Virgin Islands annual Fall Convocation will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 14, in Chase Auditorium on the St. Thomas campus and will be connected by videoconference to the Evans Center Theater on UVI’s St. Croix campus. Rooms T101 (on St. Thomas) and EVC713 (on St. Croix) will be used to accommodate overflow.
Convocation is held twice each year – at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. It is an opportunity for members of the university community to begin a new academic period together, keeping the university’s mission, vision and core beliefs at the forefront.
An address by UVI’s fifth president, David Hall, Ph.D., is expected to provide insight and direction as the community prepares for the first day of classes on Monday, Aug. 17. A press conference with Dr. Hall is scheduled to take place at 10:45 a.m. in Chase Auditorium on St. Thomas with a videoconference link to the Evans Center Theater (Room 401) on the St. Croix campus.
Dr. Hall began his tenure as the fifth president on Aug. 1. He has been awarded a Distinguished University Professorship of Spirituality and Professionalism at UVI.
With a distinguished career as an educational administrator, Hall is also recognized as a preeminent scholar in the field of law. In 1993, when he was appointed dean of the Northeastern University School of Law, he made history by being the first African-American to hold the position. He was appointed provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Northeastern in July of 1998, and served in that capacity until July of 2002.
Born in Savannah, Ga., he holds a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University, where he was named an “all American” for his athletic and scholarly accomplishments. After graduating from Kansas State, he played professional basketball in Italy.
The new UVI president holds both a doctorate of juridical science and an LL.M. degree from Harvard Law School and received his juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma, where he also earned a master’s degree in human relations.
He is married to Marilyn Braithwaite-Hall and is the father of three children: Rahsaan, Sakile and Kiamsha.
