Utah State University Commencement is Saturday; Graduate Ceremonies Friday

The former governor of Utah and chairman of the Atlantic Council, Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., will address undergraduate students during USU’s 129th graduation ceremony Saturday, May 7, in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan. The hooding ceremony for graduate students is Friday, May 6.

Huntsman will present the commencement address and also receive an honorary doctorate with four other prominent individuals during the Saturday events. Those receiving honorary doctorates are Douglas S. Foxley, partner at Foxley and Pignanelli, Attorneys-at-Law and former chair of the Utah State Board of Regents, Joseph Andrew Hays, retired founder of Hays Group and former vice president for corporate relations with the Tribune Company, Ligia Amada Melo de Cardona, minister of higher education, science and technology for the Dominican Republic and Jed H. Pitcher, retired president and COO of the Regence Group and former chair of the Utah State Board of Regents.

Visit the commencement website for more detailed information.

USU Commencement Statistics (Spring 2016)

Graduate Commencement and Hooding Ceremony: Friday, May 6, 1:30 p.m., Dee Glen Smith Spectrum

Commencement (Undergraduate): Saturday, May 7, 9:30 a.m., Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Procession begins on Quad at 9 a.m.

Individual college convocations (all Saturday, May 7):

12 p.m. (noon)
Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, Morgan Theatre, Chase Fine Arts Center

College of Science, Evan N. Stevenson Ballroom, Taggart Student Center

12:30 p.m.

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Wayne Estes Center

2 p.m.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
Associate’s Degrees, Morgan Theatre, Chase Fine Arts Center

2:30 p.m.

College of Engineering, Wayne Estes Center

4 p.m.

Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Dee Glen Smith Spectrum

4:30 p.m.

Caine College of the Arts, Wayne Estes Center

Numbers of Degrees: 6,039
Associate’s: 1,080
Bachelor’s: 4,098
Master’s: 762
Doctorate: 95
Education Specialist’s: 4

Gender of graduates (undergrad: bachelor’s and associate’s):

Female: 2,853
Male: 2,325

Annual undergraduate resident tuition/fees (24 credits):
2015-16: $6,663

Geographic origin (undergrad):

Foreign countries: 293 students (Top 3: China, 202; Hong Kong; 21, Armenia; 14)
U.S. states: 49

Ethnicity (undergrad):

American Indian/Alaskan native: 35
Pacific Islander: 14
Asian: 310
Black, non-Hispanic: 51
White, non-Hispanic: 4,094
Hispanic: 95
Multicultural: 98
Not Specified: 481

Most popular degrees (top 10) (undergrad):
Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education (379)
Economics (309)
Business Administration (166)
Human Movement Science (160)
Mechanical Engineering (145)
Psychology (143)
Interdisciplinary Studies (141)
Elementary Education (129)
English (119)
Family, Consumer and Human Development (117)

Commencement Speaker: Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., former governor of Utah, Doctor of Humane Letters

Honorary Degree Recipients:

Douglas S. Foxley, partner at Foxley and Pignanelli Attorneys-at-Law, Doctor of Humane Letters

Joseph Andrew Hays, retired corporate advocate and communicator, Doctor of Humane Letters

Ligia Amada Melo De Cardona, minister of higher education, science and technology for the Dominican Republic, Doctor of Education

Jed H. Pitcher, retired chairman of the board, president and CEO of Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah and retired president and COO of the Regence Group, Doctor of Humane Letters

Student Speaker: Alyssa Michelle Quinn, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Valedictorians:

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences: Amy Wilkinson, escorted by Clay Isom

Caine College of the Arts: Olivia Anne Godfrey, escorted by Mike Daines

Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services: Chloe Burns, escorted by Spencer Clark

College of Engineering: Cody A. Maughan, escorted by David Britt

College of Humanities and Social Sciences: Alyssa Michelle Quinn, escorted by Brian McCuskey

Jon. M. Huntsman School of Business: Nicholas Murray, escorted by Chad Albrecht

S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources: Dakota M. Reed, escorted by Kari Veblen

College of Science: Elise Griffin, escorted by Ian Anderson

D. Wynne Thorne Research Award: Bruce Bugbee, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Eldon J. Gardner Teaching Award:  Pamela A. Dupin-Bryant, Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

Faculty University Service Award: Cathy Ferrand Bullock, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Outstanding Graduate Mentor: Abby Benninghoff, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Distinguished Teaching Awards:

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences: Anne Spranger

Caine College of the Arts: Jon Gudmundson

College of Engineering: Blake Tullis

Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services: J. Spencer Clark

College of Humanities and Social Sciences: Jessica L. Lucero

S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources: Claudia Radel

College of Science: Camille Fairbourn

E. G. Peterson Extension Award: Mark Nelson, Beaver County

Contact: Maren Aller, 435-797-1355, maren.aller@usu.edu