Staff Report
TAMPA – More than 4,500 degrees will be received during graduation ceremonies at the various campuses of the University of South Florida this weekend, including about 150 for students from the Sarasota-Manatee campus, which will have a ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 11 at the Bradenton Area Convention Center (1 Haben Boulevard in Palmetto).
Approximately 3,900 degrees will be received at the Tampa campus and 450 at the St. Petersburg campus at the ceremonies. USF System President Judy Genshaft will preside over a total of six ceremonies, representing the university’s 110th commencement convocation.
The graduating class represents 47 states, 86 nations and includes 245 student veterans. The USF System will recognize 17 students as King O’Neal Scholars for earning a 4.0 GPA. The youngest graduate is an 18-year-old receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology, while the oldest graduate is a 72-year-old receiving a master’s degree in library and information science.
Stephanie Radu, who will earn a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences, has been named USF’s Outstanding Graduate by the USF Alumni Association. Albert Moreno III and Jennifer Caba were selected as the Outstanding Graduates for USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee. The award recognizes graduates who embody leadership, school spirit, academic excellence, community involvement and a love for USF.
Peter McPherson will receive the President’s Global Leadership Award, which is presented to individuals who have achieved exemplary accomplishments in international leadership or global relations, during the 1:30 p.m. ceremony on Dec. 10. McPherson is president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the nation’s oldest higher education association comprised of public research universities, land-grant institutions and university systems.
Retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Mike McConnell will receive an honorary doctorate in business during the 6 p.m. ceremony on Dec. 10. McConnell has served as the director of the National Security Agency and U.S. Director of National Intelligence. He also serves as the chairman of the Board of Advisors to the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at USF.
Graduates and ceremony attendees are encouraged to use #USFGRAD on social media posts.
Full Commencement Schedule (all held at the USF Sun Dome, unless otherwise noted):
*Friday, Dec. 9, 6 p.m. ceremony will recognize undergraduates from the College of Arts & Sciences.
*Saturday, Dec. 10, 9 a.m. ceremony will recognize undergraduates from the College of Arts & Sciences and Muma College of Business.
*Saturday, Dec. 10, 1:30 p.m. ceremony will recognize undergraduates from the Colleges of Behavioral and Community Sciences, Education, Engineering, Nursing, Public Health, The Arts and Undergraduate Studies.
*Saturday, Dec. 10, 6 p.m. ceremony will recognize graduate students from all colleges.
*Sunday, Dec. 11, 2 p.m. USF Sarasota-Manatee will hold a ceremony at the Bradenton Area Convention Center.
*Sunday, Dec. 11, 6 p.m. USF St. Petersburg will hold a ceremony at the Mahaffey Theatre.
For more information, visit usf.edu/commencement.
Comments
No comments on this item
Only paid subscribers can comment
Please log in to comment by clicking here.