Spring Commencement Expands to Accommodate More Graduates

Russell Cothren

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas is beginning its traditional spring commencement schedule a day early to meet the demands of increased enrollment and a greater number of students graduating. The College of Education and Health Professions will hold the first ceremony on Friday, May 8.

“In the past we held all of commencement ceremonies on the same Saturday – with the exception of the School of Law,” said Dave Dawson, registrar for the U of A. “Last year it became obvious that there were so many more graduates that we simply didn’t have enough time to hold four graduation ceremonies in Walton Arena on the same day. We wanted to try to do something to alleviate traffic congestion and allow students and families to enjoy this important event without feeling rushed. This solution should provide a better experience for everyone involved.”

Friday, May 8

• College of Education and Health Professions will hold its undergraduate commencement at 3 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena.

The commencement speaker will be Anna Reed Phillips, a 2004 graduate of the college. She co-founded the Bridge2Rwanda Scholars Program in 2011 and serves as its director of development. The program has helped more than 100 African students win scholarships to 50 universities in five countries for a total of $20 million in scholarship funding.

Saturday, May 9

• The All-University Commencement ceremony, for graduate students from all colleges, will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Bud Walton Arena. Coach Frank Broyles and Dr. James Hildreth will be awarded honorary degrees and will speak to the graduating students.

Broyles coached Arkansas Razorback football for 19 seasons and served as Razorback athletic director for another 31 years. He will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Hildreth, a native of Camden, is dean of the College of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Davis, and has been a pioneer in HIV and AIDS research. He will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

• The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences commencement will be held at 1 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena. Padmavathy Manavazhahan, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biochemistry, with minors in gender studies, classical studies, and medieval and Renaissance studies will be the student commencement speaker.
• The Sam M. Walton College of Business will hold its ceremony at 1 p.m. in Barnhill Arena. The commencement speaker will be Donnie Smith, president and CEO of Tyson Foods Inc.

Smith joined Tyson Foods in 1980 and has worked in every aspect of the company. He was named CEO in 2009. A Tennessee native and graduate of the University of Tennessee he has been a strong supporter of the University of Arkansas and Walton College since moving to Northwest Arkansas.

• The Fay Jones School of Architecture commencement will begin at 1 p.m. in the  Verizon Ballroom of the Arkansas Union. Trinity Simons, director of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design in Washington, D.C. will be the commencement speaker.

Simons works with mayors across the country to help them address their most pressing urban planning and design issues and challenges. She has a Bachelor of Architecture from the Fay Jones School of Architecture and a Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• The College of Engineering ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. in Barnhill Arena. Irving Pressley McPhail, president and CEO of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering will be the speaker.

McPhail served as president of the Community College of Baltimore County and chief operating officer of the Baltimore City Public Schools. He is the co-editor of "Teaching African American Learners to Read: Perspectives and Practices," and serves on the board of directors of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation, the Alliance for Science and Technology Research in America, and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

• The Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences commencement ceremonies will be held at 5 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena. The speakers will be alumni Mark Waldrip and Allison Thomas.

Waldrip is owner of Armor Seed LLC and East Arkansas Seeds Inc. and a member of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the U of A in 1977 in agricultural economics and agribusiness.

Thomas is chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service where she coordinates program and policy issues regarding U.S. agricultural exports and market access. She earned her master’s degree in agricultural economics from the U of A in 1999.

Saturday, May 16

• The School of Law commencement will be held at 2 p.m. in the Fayetteville Town Center. The speaker will be Amy Tu, chief counsel of aviation services and business development for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Tu is a 1996 graduate of the U of A School of Law and was named the Arkansas Alumni Association’s Johnson Fellow in 2013. She is the daughter Yien-I Tu, professor emeritus of economics in Walton College.

More information about commencement is available at the Registrar’s website and on the Spring Commencement webpage.

On social media, follow the commencement or post to it with #UARK15.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.