Mesa Arts Center new home for university graduation

Keynote address to be delivered by nationally recognized AZ doctor

MESA, Ariz. (Mar. 7, 2006 ) – Saturday, March 11, will mark the beginning of a new partnership with two of Mesa’s most valued resources. The Arizona School of Health Sciences, a school of A.T. Still University (ATSU) in Mesa, will host its Spring graduation at the new Mesa Arts Center for the first time, beginning at 11 a.m.

More than 200 students and their family members from across the nation will descend upon Mesa this weekend as the Arizona School of Health Sciences presents degrees to three online distance learning programs: Doctor of Audiology, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Advanced Physician Assistant (Master of Science degree).

“The University is excited about the opportunity to showcase Mesa and the new arts center to our graduates and their families,” says ATSU-Mesa Provost Craig Phelps, D.O., FAOASM. “It is another example of the synergistic opportunities that exist for the University, Mesa and the East Valley.”

Opened in Spring 2005, the Mesa Arts Center is the largest arts complex in Arizona, covering an astonishing 212,000 square feet. As the anchor of the Mesa Arts and Cultural District, the center is an inviting oasis by day and a luminous beacon by night. The design was inspired by the unique character of the Sonoran Desert and features a 700-foot Shadow Walk that creates an inviting, shaded outdoor oasis plaza.

The featured graduation speaker is Dr. John Molina, a Yaqui Indian who founded the Las Fuentes Health Clinic in Guadalupe, Arizona and current Medical Director of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. He received the Humanitarian Award from the National Head Start Association recognizing his extraordinary contribution to serving Head Start children. Molina has been a minister, social worker, physician and recently received his law degree from Arizona State University’s College of Law. Dr. Molina is also a board member of the Arizona Hispanic Center of Excellence in Tucson and a member of the Arizona Medical Association.

“His message of serving and identifying public health issues especially affecting children falls directly in line with the mission of the Arizona School of Health Sciences and A.T. Still University,” says Arizona School Health Sciences Dean Randy Danielsen.

For more information, contact Rodric Bradford, director of public relations for ATSU-Mesa at 480.219.6015 or rbradford@atsu.edu.