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Published on 04/24/25

CAES to honor new graduates at convocation ceremony May 8

By Makenna Grace Reavis
UGA Commencement ceremony
CAES will hold its convocation ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at the Classic Center in Athens. UGA's graduate commencement ceremonies will be held May 8 in Stegeman Coliseum, and the undergraduate ceremony will be held May 9 in Sanford Stadium. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

As the academic year winds down, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) is preparing for its spring 2025 convocation, to be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at the Classic Center in Athens. 

“Convocation presents a unique opportunity for students to reflect on all they have achieved during their college careers, and it’s an honor to get to celebrate that with students every semester,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick Place. “CAES students are tackling some of the most pressing issues the world is facing today, and I’m confident that their graduation is just the start of their journey to make an impact.”

CAES convocation   

The CAES convocation is a personalized ceremony honoring the undergraduate and graduate candidates of the college. At the ceremony, each graduating student will be recognized by name on stage.

The student speaker for this year’s convocation is 2025 CAES Outstanding Senior Gracie James Grimes. Grimes, an animal science major, is a CAES Ambassador and has been heavily involved with the college during her four years at UGA. She is a member of the first cohort of the CAES Rural Scholars Program, which launched in fall 2021.

Students must register on the CAES website by April 27 to participate in convocation. For questions about registration, contact Mary Formo at mformo@uga.edu.

Students can begin checking in at the Classic Center atrium and lining up for the 5 p.m. processional. Students should leave their belongings with their guests and make alternative arrangements for service dogs in training. Faculty will check in at 5:45 p.m. to line up for the processional.

Guest information

Guests are encouraged to attend this free event and do not need tickets for entry. Doors will open for guests at 5 p.m. Parking for the event is available for a fee at the Classic Center and locations around downtown Athens.

Academic regalia

Wearing academic regalia — caps, gowns, tassels, etc. — is required for participation in CAES convocation. Regalia can be purchased at the UGA Bookstore.

Photos

A photographer will be at CAES convocation to capture 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.

UGA commencement

UGA will hold commencement ceremonies for both undergraduate and graduate students on May 8 and 9.

Two graduate ceremonies will be held on Thursday, May 8, in Stegeman Coliseum. The master’s and specialist ceremony will be at 10 a.m., and the doctoral ceremony will follow at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are not required for graduate commencement.

The undergraduate ceremony will take place Friday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Sanford Stadium. Tickets are required for graduates but not guests.

For more information, including tickets, parking and accessibility, visit the UGA Commencement website.

Commencement speakers

This year’s undergraduate commencement speaker is four-time Paralympian and 2019 UGA graduate Jarryd Wallace. Wallace was attending UGA on a track scholarship in 2010 when compartment syndrome complications and 10 surgeries led him to decide to amputate his right leg from the knee down. Since then, Wallace has made an incredible comeback, going on to win two bronze medals at the Paralympic Games — one in sprinting in 2020 and one in long jump in 2024 — and is the CEO and founder of the RIVL Foundation, a community-focused nonprofit.

K. Paige Carmichael will be the graduate commencement speaker. Carmichael is a professor of veterinary pathology at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine and the co-chair of the UGA Teaching Academy. Her dedicated teaching has earned her several awards, including the Lilly Teaching Fellowship, the Norden-Pfizer Teaching Award, the Tyler Award for Teaching Innovation and, most recently, UGA’s university-wide Faculty Service Award in 2023. She was also the first Black professor at UGA to receive the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professorship.

Graduation ceremonies at UGA-Tifton and UGA-Griffin

The Tifton campus graduation reception will occur on Saturday, May 3, at 11 a.m. at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center.

The Griffin campus graduation celebration will take place on Wednesday, May 7, at 10 a.m. on the Student Learning Center front lawn.

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

Makenna Reavis is a student writer for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Authors:
Makenna Grace Reavis
Experts/Sources:
Nick Place
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