University of Houston-Clear Lake will host the investiture of President Ira K. Blake Thursday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m., as the culminating event in a week of activities commemorating President Blake’s 2017 appointment to the post.
She is UHCL’s fifth president, its first woman and the first African-American to be appointed to the university’s highest office. The theme for the event is “Transcending Expectations,” a focal point for President Blake since her arrival.
Investiture events at universities are traditional ceremonies that formally mark the transference of the authority and symbols of the office to the new president, usually within his or her first year. President Blake’s formal installation as UHCL’s new president will take place in the university’s Bayou Theater and will include a procession of delegates from other colleges and universities as well as from within UHCL.
The event is open to the public and is an opportunity for the community and the university to usher in a new era in UHCL’s history. Her investiture ceremony will conclude with a meet-and-greet reception following the ceremony at 4 p.m. in Atrium I of the Bayou Building.
UHCL’s Investiture Week begins Monday, Sept. 17 with an historical exhibit, a panel discussion with UHCL charter faculty, and an alumni panel event in which graduates share their stories of their professional paths and callings. Other events throughout the week include UHCL Constitution Day Celebration and a Health and Wellness Fair in UHCL’s newly opened Recreation and Wellness Center on Sept. 18.
On Sept. 19, the arts at UHCL will be showcased from 5:30 to 8 p.m., in the Bayou Theater and followed by a reception in the newly expanded UHCL Art Gallery. Investiture Week will culminate on Sept. 21 with the Bayou Theater’s 2018-19 season opening concert, “Mercury: Vivaldi vs. Paganini.”
President Blake holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from George Washington University, a master’s degree in educational psychology from San Francisco State University, and a second master’s degree and doctorate in developmental psychology from Columbia University. She has spoken and published extensively on the topics of language, literacy, culture, ethnicity, socialization and child development.
