Dear Graduates:

Congratulations on your achievement. We are so proud of you. As you commemorate this milestone in your life, we know many of you miss the iconic Alma Mater sculpture as a backdrop for Commencement photographs.

With that in mind, we have created several options for you, the most innovative of which is the Augmented Reality Alma Mater. Graduates and guests can have their picture taken with a three-dimensional, life-sized virtual rendering of the Alma Mater sculpture atop its pedestal at the corner of Green and Wright streets from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, May 9, through Saturday, May 11.

Using a special app running on iPads provided at the site, and a target image mounted on the pedestal, you will be able to walk around the front and sides of the virtual sculpture and see it from different perspectives. The rendering was created using high-resolution, three-dimensional surface scans of the physical sculpture at a Chicago-area studio, where conservation work is being performed.

This will be the first time anyone will be able to see Alma's new bronze appearance. Participants will be able to view and download pictures online.

Wireless access will be available at the site. Signs with links to mobile-friendly videos about the sculpture and project will be present for those waiting to be photographed who wish to learn more about the famous sculpture, conservation efforts, and this project.

More information about the Augmented Reality Alma Mater is available at http://go.illinois.edu/aboutalma.

Additional Alma photo opportunities include a project by students at the School of Art and Design. They are creating plaster replicas of Alma that will appear at some of the more heavily traveled areas on campus over Commencement weekend, including the Beckman Institute, the Alumni Association building, the Art and Design building, Assembly Hall and the Main Quad. For a map, go to: http://www.fs.uiuc.edu/pdfs/sas/crc/crcnews/photoopps/index.html.

Foellinger Auditorium will have bunting added that features school colors, and the Hallene Gateway will have special landscaping added. The Illini Union will have a photo booth with a special backdrop will give graduating students a chance to snap photos with a ''virtual'' Alma on Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Alumni Association will host GradFest on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring a ''green screen'' Alma background. Members of the 1867 Society will stroll campus wearing Alma, Labor and Learning costumes and will be available to pose for pictures with graduates.

We wish you a wonderful Commencement weekend, and we hope you will come back to visit your Alma Mater and the original Alma Mater sculpture many times in the coming years.

Best wishes,
Chancellor Phyllis Wise
Provost Ilesanmi  Adesida