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Published on 04/18/24

CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation

By Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
Detail of students raising their hands and taking photos during the fireworks celebration at the 2022 Spring Undergraduate Commencement in Sanford Stadium.
CAES will hold its convocation ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 9, in The Classic Center Theatre. UGA's graduate commencement ceremonies will be held May 9 at Stegeman Coliseum and the undergraduate ceremony will be held May 10 at Sanford Stadium. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens.  

“Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”

CAES Convocation 

CAES Convocation is a personalized ceremony to recognize the academic accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate candidates at the college. 

Outstanding Senior Katlyn Davis is the featured student speaker for the convocation ceremony. Davis, who is graduating with a double major in animal and dairy science and animal biosciences from CAES, will be attending veterinary school in the fall. 

Guests are encouraged to attend the event, which is free with prior registration. Students must register for convocation on the CAES website by April 22. More information is available on the CAES website. For questions about convocation registration, email Mary Formo at mformo@uga.edu. 

Doors open at 5 p.m. for students to check in and line up for procession in the Classic Center Atrium. Faculty will line up at 5:45 p.m. for the processional. 

Academic regalia 

Candidates must wear academic regalia to participate in CAES Convocation. Caps, gowns and tassels are available at the UGA Bookstore. Tassels should be worn to the right before the ceremony. 

Parking is available for a fee at The Classic Center parking deck and at various lots throughout downtown Athens. 

Photos 

A photographer will be at convocation to take high-quality photos of candidates with the dean, as well as group and candid shots. These photos will be available for download by students and guests a few weeks after the ceremony.  

The Classic Center will have ADA accommodations, including parking, elevator service and seating. Attendants will be available to assist with ADA seating as needed. Please make alternative arrangements for service dogs in training. 

UGA Commencement 

UGA Commencement ceremonies for all graduate students in Athens will be held on May 9 at Stegeman Coliseum. The master’s ceremony will begin at 10 a.m and the doctoral ceremony will begin at 2 p.m.

The undergraduate ceremony will be held at 7:30 p.m. May 10 at Sanford Stadium.

Please visit the UGA Commencement website for details including information on tickets, parking, and accessibility. 

Commencement speakers 

This year’s undergraduate commencement speaker is Olympic medalist Allison Schmitt. She is currently the record holder for the 200-meter freestyle swimming, which she’s held since 2009. An avid mental health advocate, Schmitt is using her master’s degree in social work from UGA to empower others to grow and make a positive impact in other people’s lives. She is passionate about raising awareness and helping those with mental health issues.  

This year’s graduate speaker is Jenna Jambeck, a Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor in Environmental Engineering at UGA. Jambeck has spent decades researching critical issues such as solid waste management and marine debris pollution. Her work has inspired policy discussion on a global scale, and Jambeck has earned many prestigious accolades throughout the years, including the UGA Creative Research Medal and a 2022 MacArthur Fellowship. In 2019, she led the first women-led expedition for National Geographic researching the Ganga River Basin. Jambeck is also the co-developer of the mobile app Marine Debris Tracker and co-author on a book from MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series called “Plastics.” 

Graduation at UGA-Tifton and UGA-Griffin

The graduation ceremony for the UGA Tifton campus will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. Attendees are asked to RSVP by April 22.

The graduation ceremony for the UGA Griffin campus will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 8, on the Student Learning Center front lawn. A livestream of the ceremony will be available at griffin.uga.edu/live.

For more information about these events, please contact the CAES Office of Academic Affairs at 706-542-1611. 

Sameeka Prabath Rajamani is a student writer for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension.

Authors:
Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
Experts/Sources:
Nick Place
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