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