The University of South Florida will wrap up the summer semesters with a pair of commencement ceremonies in Tampa Saturday. More than 2,700 students from across all three campuses will receive their degrees in the school's 112th convocation.
According to USF, approximately 2,470 degrees will be awarded to USF Tampa students, while 190 will go to USF St. Petersburg students and nearly 90 to USF Sarasota-Manatee students.
The summer commencement is the only one of the USF System's three annual sets of ceremonies where students from all three campuses graduate together, as USF St. Pete and USF Sarasota-Manatee normally hold separate ceremonies.
About 1,600 students are expected to march in the proceedings, which will take place at the USF Sun Dome on the Tampa campus Saturday at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The graduating class includes students from 43 states and 83 countries, as well as over 100 student veterans. Ten students will receive the King O'Neal award for graduating with a 4.0 grade point average.
The youngest graduate, Siana Pietri, 19, is receiving a bachelor's degree in political science, while the oldest, Barbara Gaw, 67, earned her master’s degree in rehabilitation and mental health counseling.
Garret Bowleg, an international student receiving her bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, was named Outstanding Graduate by the USF Alumni Association.
Dr. Jesus Ferro Bayona, the Rector of Colombia's Universidad del Norte, is scheduled to receive the President's Global Leadership Award at the 9 a.m. ceremony. Longtime local educator RoseAnne Garcia Bowers, who earned a number of degrees at USF, will receive an honorary doctorate at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony.
Full Commencement Schedule (held at the USF Sun Dome)
- Saturday, Aug. 5, 9 a.m. ceremony includes USF. St. Petersburg students receiving their bachelor’s and master’s degrees from all colleges as well as USF Tampa students receiving their bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the College of Arts & Sciences, Muma College of Business, College of The Arts and Undergraduate Studies.
- Saturday, Aug. 5, 1:30 p.m. ceremony includes USF Sarasota-Manatee students receiving their bachelor’s and master’s degrees from all colleges as well as USF Tampa students receiving their bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the College of Behavioral & Community Sciences, College of Education, College of Engineering, Global Sustainability, Graduate Studies, College of Marine Science, Morsani College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and the College of Public Health.
You can find more information, including a link to a live webstream of the Tampa ceremonies at usf.edu/commencement. Graduates are invited to share their graduation moments from the weekend by using #USFGRAD and #Classof2017.
