A U.S. senator, the mayor of San Antonio, a former U.S. congressman, a professional football player, the university’s new athletic director and a former head football coach will be among speakers at spring convocation ceremonies at The University of Texas at Austin on May 16 and 17.
Naval Adm. William H. McRaven, ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command, will deliver the 131st university-wide Spring Commencement address May 17 on the Main Mall. The ceremony, which celebrates the graduation of about 8,200 students this spring, will begin with a carillon prelude at 7 p.m. and end with a fireworks display and the singing of “The Eyes of Texas.”
Convocations at the university’s colleges, schools and departments recognize students individually. The convocation speakers for these ceremonies are listed below. A map for navigating campus during Commencement weekend is available at: http://www.events.utexas.edu/commencement/spring/navigating-campus.
Friday, May 16
8 a.m. McCombs School of Business (ceremony for undergraduate students), Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Robert W. Floyd, president of CrownQuest Operating LLC and EnerQuest Oil and Gas Ltd.
8:30 a.m. Department of Government (College of Liberal Arts) (ceremony for undergraduate students), Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Mack Brown, former University of Texas at Austin head football coach.
8:30 a.m. College of Pharmacy, Bass Concert Hall, Texas Performing Arts. Speaker: Paul W. Abramowitz, chief executive officer, American Society of Heath-System Pharmacists.
11:30 a.m. College of Liberal Arts. Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Larry Carver, director, Liberal Arts Honors Program and professor, Department of English, Department of Rhetoric and Writing, and the Humanities Honors Program.
11:30 a.m. Master of Science in Finance (MSF) McCombs School of Business, Student Activity Center Auditorium 1.402. Speaker: Rebecca Szelc, director at Berkeley Research Group.
Noon College of Education, Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Aaron Rochlen, professor in educational psychology, College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin.
Noon School of Nursing, Bass Concert Hall, Texas Performing Arts. Speaker: Luci Baines Johnson, founder and limited partner of LBJ Family Wealth Advisors Ltd. and philanthropist.
3 p.m. College of Fine Arts, Bass Concert Hall, Texas Performing Arts. Speaker: Justin P. Tucker, UT Austin alumnus, placekicker for the Baltimore Ravens.
3 p.m. Joint ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, Bates Recital Hall, Texas Performing Arts. Speaker: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
3 p.m. Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) McCombs School of Business, Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Marcie Zlotnik, co-founder of StarTex Power.
3:30 p.m. Moody College of Communication, Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Ben Sargent, editorial cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize winner.
6 p.m. Department of History, College of Liberal Arts, Bass Concert Hall, Texas Performing Arts. Speaker: Pete Geren, UT Austin alumnus, lawyer, businessman, philanthropist, former U.S. congressman and former U.S. Secretary of the Army.
7 p.m. Cockrell School of Engineering, Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Gary L. Thomas, chief operating officer, EOG Resources Inc.
Saturday, May 17
8 a.m. College of Natural Sciences (Ceremony 1): Astronomy, Computer Science, Human Development and Family Sciences, Human Ecology, Mathematics, Nutrition, Physics, Textile and Apparel, at Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Dan Graham, UT Austin alumnus, founder and chief executive officer of BuildASign.
9 a.m. Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts, Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Austin Ligon, co-founder and retired chief executive officer of CarMax.
9 a.m. Graduate School (master’s), in Bass Concert Hall, Texas Performing Arts. No speaker is scheduled.
9 a.m. Plan II Honors Program, College of Liberal Arts, Hogg Auditorium. (Note: Tickets are required.) Speaker: Daron K. Roberts, UT Austin alumnus, former president of Student Government, CEO of 4th and 1 Inc., a free football camp for high school students from underrepresented groups.
10 a.m. Center for Mexican American Studies, College of Liberal Arts, Student Activities Center Auditorium. Speaker: Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, Ellen Clayton Garwood Centennial Professor, Department of English, The University of Texas at Austin.
11 a.m. Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, LBJ Auditorium. Speaker: Julian Castro, mayor of San Antonio.
Noon College of Natural Sciences (Ceremony 2) Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Clinical Laboratory Science, Environmental Science, Marine Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Neuroscience, Public Health. Convocation location is Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: Dan Graham, UT Austin alumnus, founder and chief executive officer of BuildASign.
Noon Graduate School (doctoral), Bass Concert Hall, Texas Performing Arts. No speaker is scheduled.
Noon Master of Science in Technology Commercialization, McCombs School of Business, Salon C of the ATandT Executive Education and Conference Center. Speaker: Ingrid Vanderveldt, entrepreneur-in-residence for Dell Inc., investor and media personality.
12:30 p.m. Department of English, College of Liberal Arts, Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: Mia Carter, associate professor and Distinguished Teaching Associate Professor at The University of Texas at Austin.
3 p.m. School of Architecture, Hogg Memorial Auditorium. Speaker: Michael L. Klein, chair of the board of directors for Humanities Texas, member of Development Board of UT Austin and chair of The University of Texas Press Advisory Council. Note: Tickets are required.
3 p.m. Jackson School of Geosciences, Bates Recital Hall, Texas Performing Arts. Speaker: George H. Davis, Regents Professor (emeritus), structural geology, University of Arizona, and provost emeritus, University of Arizona; past president, Geological Society of America.
3 p.m. School of Social Work, Bass Concert Hall, Texas Performing Arts. Speakers: Two members of the graduating classes who were chosen by their peers: Graduate student Delilah Nicole Dominguez and undergraduate student Virginia (Ginger) Leigh Yachinich.
3:30 p.m. School of Law, Frank Erwin Center. Speaker: University of Texas at Austin Athletic Director Steve Patterson.
3:30 p.m. Department of Psychology, Gregory Gymnasium. Speaker: James W. Pennebaker, professor and chair, Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin.
4 p.m. School of Information, amphitheater of the ATandT Executive Education and Conference Center. Speaker: Tom Serres, UT Austin alumnus (McCombs School of Business) and chief executive officer and co-founder of Rally.org, and founder and previous director of Texas Ventures and Piryx.
More information is available on the Commencement website: http://www.utexas.edu/commencement.
Reminder: Backpacks, tote bags or any bag larger than 12 inches will not be allowed into any of the commencement venues.
The University of Texas at Austin is now a tobacco-free campus. Use of tobacco products is prohibited in university buildings and on university grounds within the state of Texas, including parking areas, sidewalks, walkways, attached parking structures and university-owned buildings.
