Grads who make us proud
UCSC's Class of 2013 is filled with students who are ready to make a difference in the world — and, in many cases, already have. Students like these four graduates:
• Emerson Glassey
• Juan Ledesma
• Elizabeth Devitt
• Carson Watts
U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards, D-MD, will speak at the Collge Eight commencement, 1 p.m., June 15.
A member of Congress, an eminent historian, several alumni, professors, and the daughter of the Oakes College founding provost are among the eclectic mix of speakers who will address UC Santa Cruz graduates during commencement ceremonies Friday through Sunday, June 14-16.
In addition, each college ceremony will feature select student speakers. A complete list of commencement events including times and locations can be found at events.ucsc.edu/commencement/. In addition to college commencements, specialty graduation ceremonies will be held throughout the weekend beginning June 13.
In all, 4,665 UCSC students will have received bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in the 2012-2013 academic year.
Commencement ceremonies will honor 4,195 candidates for bachelor degrees for work completed in the arts, engineering, humanities, physical and biological sciences, and social sciences. Spring candidates for bachelor degrees total 2,579, according to the UC Santa Cruz registrar's office. Another 1,616 completed coursework in the summer, fall, or winter quarters.
Additionally, 230 doctorate degrees will be awarded, including 95 to graduate students who have applied for a June degree. Another 240 students are eligible to receive master degrees: 142 have been awarded already and 98 students have applied for a June degree. Approximately 180 graduate students are expected to participate in commencement ceremonies.
Fifty-eight other students are scheduled to complete UCSC's education master's program in late summer and a small number of students will receive graduate certificates.
U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards, D-MD, will deliver the College Eight commencement address 1 p.m. Saturday, June 15. Edwards has represented Maryland’s 4th Congressional District outside Washington, D.C., since 2009.
College Eight provost Ronnie Lipschutz said he was impressed when he heard Edwards speak at a National Science Foundation conference in January and, because she serves on House committees covering infrastructure, science, environment, he felt her service was in line with College Eight's theme of "Environment and Society." College Eight extended an invitation and she accepted.
Before serving in Congress, Edwards was co-founder and executive director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence.
At Cowell College's commencement June 15, one of the leading historians of the American West, Patricia Limerick (Cowell, '72, American studies) will speak. Limerick is professor of history at the University of Colorado at Boulder and chair of the Center of the American West.
Another alumna, Natalie Purcell (grad division, '11, sociology), will speak at the graduate commencement Friday afternoon, June 14. She earned her Ph.D. two years ago and is currently a Presidential Management Fellow at the Department of Veterans Affairs in San Francisco affiliated with the UCSF medical school.
At Merrill College commencement, alumnus Dom Siababa (Merrill, '75) will speak June 15. He is a first-generation college graduate, son of immigrants from the Philippines and has been deeply involved in UCSC alumni activities. In 2005, he served as president of the UCSC Alumni Council.
UCSC professor of sociology Steve McKay will speak to College Nine graduates June 16. Professor of education Ron Glass will speak at College Ten's commencement later the same day.
At Porter College, Art Department Chair Jennifer Parker and Gustavo Vazquez, professor of film and digital media, will speak June 15.
Caren Camblin, a lecturer for the Stevenson College Core Course, will speak to Stevenson graduates June 16.
Crown College graduates selected Baldo Marinovic, a research biologist with UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences and a lecturer in biology, to speak to them at the June 16 commencement.
Donnae Smith, program Coordinator for Diversity and Inclusion at UCSC, will speak to Kresge grads June 15
Audries Blake, daughter of founding Oakes College provost Herman Blake, will address Oakes graduates June 15. She spent many of her formative years at UC Santa Cruz. Her professional background is in the non-profit and educational arena and she now works on campus in University Relations.
Her father was UCSC professor of sociology from 1966, and Oakes provost from 1972 to 1984. He is currently the inaugural Humanities Scholar in Residence at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.
The Baskin School of Engineering will hold a separate commencement ceremony Sunday, June 16 with a keynote address by Jorge Valdes, an education advisor at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office who specializes in encouraging students to study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Valdes is also president and CEO of Young Science Achievers that for 25 years has sought to inspire more girls and under-represented students to pursue careers and study in STEM fields. In private industry, he held senior leadership roles at Alcatel-Lucent, Lucent Technologies, AT&T, and Bell Laboratories.
