By Melanie Johnson

More than 6,600 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree candidates will take their turns on stage at Cal Poly Pomona’s 61st annual Commencement ceremonies from Friday, June 9, to Sunday, June 11.

The eight colleges will each hold a ceremony in the University Quad. Tickets are not required, and guests are encouraged to arrive at least one hour before the start. Live and recorded video of each ceremony will be available on the Commencement website.

Key changes to Commencement include an earlier start time of 3 p.m. for the ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday. Lot C is closed because of construction, but parking is available in Parking Structure 1, Parking Structure 2 and the F lots. Parking will be free this year. Attendees who are disabled should park in Lot M and on Camphor Lane. A shuttle service will take disabled and elderly guests to the Commencement site.

Details about the ceremonies, including maps of campus and professional photography, are available on the Commencement website.

Special guests for the ceremonies will include CSU Board of Trustees members Steven Stepanek and Jane W. Carney; Loren J. Blanchard, the CSU’s executive vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs; alumnus Don B. Huntley, namesake of the Huntley School of Agriculture; and state Sen. Josh Newman.

Similar to a valedictorian, McPhee Scholars are chosen for their stellar work throughout their academic career at Cal Poly Pomona. Additionally, each college chooses an outstanding faculty member to be the mace bearer. The valedictorians, recipients of the Julian McPhee Award for Student Excellence and mace bearers, award winners and ceremony dates and times are:

FRIDAY, JUNE 9

4 p.m. – Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture

Ellen Tang, McPhee Scholar and valedictorian

Martin Sancho-Madriz, mace bearer

8 p.m. – College of Education & Integrative Studies

Anna E. Schmaltz, McPhee Scholar and valedictorian

Jose Aguilar-Hernandez, mace bearer

SATURDAY, JUNE 10

9 a.m. – College of Engineering

Frank Garcia, McPhee Scholar and valedictorian

Henry J. Farran, mace bearer

Kamran Abedini, Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient

3 p.m. – College of Letters, Arts & Social Sciences

Rehana Parekh, McPhee Scholar and valedictorian

Claudia Garcia-Des Lauriers, mace bearer

Nadia Shpachenko-Gottesman, Provost’s Award for Scholarly and Creative Activities recipient

David Speak, Provost’s Award for Excellence in Service recipient

8 p.m. – College of Environmental Design

Hannah Schramm, McPhee Scholar and valedictorian

Alyssa Lang, mace bearer

SUNDAY, JUNE 11

9 a.m. – College of Business Administration

Matthew Sprengel, McPhee Scholar and valedictorian

Jeffery L. Guyse, mace bearer

3 p.m. – College of Science

Tharindu Jayasinghe, McPhee Scholar and valedictorian

Edward Walton, mace bearer

8 p.m. – The Collins College of Hospitality Management

Manual F. Hernandez, McPhee Scholar

Belinda Ganda, valedictorian

Margie Ferree Jones, mace bearer