UT Dallas plans to present 1,874 diplomas at commencement ceremonies this weekend.
The five ceremonies are scheduled for 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17; and 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, in the Activity Center.
The fall graduates will bring to 75,000 the total number of degrees that UT Dallas has conferred in its 41 years as a member of The University of Texas System.
“One of the many remarkable things about our students is their intellectual curiosity,” said Dr. Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres, dean of Undergraduate Education. “Our students come to UT Dallas with great potential and take advantage of the many opportunities available to them.”
“We foster students’ intellectual capacity and challenge their assumptions in an interdisciplinary environment. We encourage them to think about what they can do and how they can give back. This University is a steppingstone to the future, a future that students themselves define and pursue. We can’t wait to see what our newest alumni will accomplish.”
President David E. Daniel will adddress the graduates, and keeping with University tradition, five students have been chosen as commencement speakers:
- Shweta Arya – Bachelor of Science in Economics, School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.
- Bradley Havard – Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
- Taneska Lewis – Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, School of Management.
- Allison Louis – Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
- Robert Shapiro, (BA '08) – Master of Science in Accounting and a Master in Business Administration, School of Management.
Among those expected to receive degrees are 836 master’s students, 83 PhD candidates and 955 undergraduates.
The School of Management will confer the largest number of degrees, totaling 775. Next is the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science with 360; School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences with 193; the School of Arts and Humanities with 142; the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences with 158; the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics with 148; and the School of Interdisciplinary Studies with 98.
New this semester is Memories on the Mall, a photo backdrop area on the University’s newly renovated main concourse. When each commencement ceremony concludes, graduates and their families are invited to Chess Plaza where banners will be arranged around the reflecting pools for photos. Memories on the Mall is sponsored by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
UT Dallas holds two commencement ceremonies per year, in the fall and spring.