Nearly 1,000 University of Houston-Clear Lake seniors will arrive at NRG Arena on Dec. 17 as students and leave as graduates as they cross the stage in two commencement ceremonies.
At noon, nearly 450 students will graduate from the College of Education and College of Science and Engineering. At 5 p.m., 550 students will graduate from the College of Business and the College of Human Sciences and Humanities.
Students participating in the ceremonies include about 840 fall graduates and about 160 summer graduates. Of these, 577 are undergrads, 408 will receive their master’s degrees and nine will be conferred doctorates.
UHCL Professor of Instructional Design and Technology Jana Willis will speak at the noon ceremony. Willis is an alumna of UHCL whose career as an educator spans more than 20 years. She was named Outstanding Educator of the Year by the Texas Forestry Association in 2016 and the National Project Learning Tree Outstanding Educator of the Year in 2017. She has collaborated with faculty across the university to develop interdisciplinary grant projects that have been awarded more than $1.3 million.
For the 5 p.m. ceremony, Professor of Philosophy Keith M. Parsons will offer words of encouragement and advice to graduates. Parsons has authored several books on religion, philosophy and history. Since joining the university in 1996, he has served many roles to advance UHCL through his work on advisory committees, engaging students at the annual Student Research Conference and founding the Astronomy Club. Parsons work in teaching has earned him a nomination for the Piper Teaching Award, a statewide recognition honoring excellence in teaching. For his research, he has been awarded the President’s Distinguished Research Award.
The ceremonies will take place at NRG Arena at 1 NRG Park, Houston. Guests for commencement do not need tickets to attend the commencement ceremony, and students may invite as many guests as they like. Seating for guests will be first-come, first-served.
Graduating students are also invited to Senior Send-Off, a social event 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15. The event will feature a photo booth, refreshments and the chance to celebrate with university alumni, faculty and leaders. Senior Send-Off is free, but tickets are required and may be picked up from University Advancement, Capt. Wendell M. Wilson Office of Veteran Services and Office of Student Life. Senior Send-Off will be on the UH-Clear Lake campus at Bayou Building, Atrium II, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston. For more information on Hawk Send Off, contact University Advancement, 281-283-2021 or [email protected].
To find out more about commencement, visit www.uhcl.edu/commencement.
