June 5, 2008
UW Commencements planned June 13, 14, 15
UW President Mark A. Emmert will officiate at commencement ceremonies in Seattle on June 14, as well as commencement ceremonies at UW Tacoma June 13 and UW Bothell June 15.
The Seattle ceremonies will be at Husky Stadium starting at 2 p.m. Graduates begin to line up at noon. The academic procession begins at 1:30. The ceremony takes 2½ hours and could be shortened in the event of inclement weather.
The Seattle ceremony will be telecast live on UWTV from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on channel 27 throughout the Puget Sound region and also online; for more information, see www.uwtv.org.
About 4,100 graduates are expected to attend, with an audience of about 39,000 family members and guests. Degrees are awarded to those who have completed academic requirements sometime during the 2007-2008 academic year. An estimated 10,840 degrees will be awarded in Seattle — about 7,000 bachelor’s degrees, 2,695 master’s degrees, 660 doctorates and 485 professional degrees.
The commencement speaker is musician, composer, producer and arranger Quincy Jones. He will be awarded an honorary doctorate at the ceremony.
Other recipients of special honors to be acknowledged at the Seattle commencement include: the Alumna Summa Laude Dignata, Distinguished Teaching Award winners and the President’s Medalists — two graduating seniors with the most distinguished academic record.
Members of the Board of Regents, deans and other representatives of the University’s 17 colleges and schools will participate in the Seattle ceremony. University officials also will be present at the Tacoma and Bothell ceremonies.
Many of the colleges and schools also have separate graduation programs and investiture ceremonies. Complete information is available at www.uwgraduation.com.
UW Tacoma’s ceremonies are at 10 a.m. Friday, June 13, at the Tacoma Dome. Commencement speaker is Michael J. Phillips, chairman of Russell Investment Group. Patricia Spakes, chancellor of UW Tacoma, will present baccalaureate degrees; Suzanne Ortega, dean of the Graduate School, will present graduate degrees. The ceremony also will spotlight the recipient of the Chancellor’s Medal for academic achievement.
Richard K. Knuth, professor of education, will be recognized as the recipient of UW Tacoma’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and E. Joseph Sharkey, associate professor of interdisciplinary arts and sciences, will be honored with the Distinguished Research Award. UW Tacoma will award an estimated 830 bachelor’s degrees and 155 master’s degrees.
UW Bothell will hold ceremonies at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 15, in the Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on the UW campus in Seattle. Chancellor Kenyon Chan, UW President Emmert, and a student speaker will present remarks and reflections. A Chancellor’s Medal and a President’s Medal will be awarded to outstanding students in the Class of 2008. The Commencement speaker is Greg Mortensen, internationally renowned humanitarian, author and mountaineer. He will be awarded an honorary doctorate at the ceremony.
The Distinguished Teaching Award will be given to S. Gowri Shankar, professor of business administration. UW Bothell will award an estimated 719 bachelor’s and master’s degrees and recognize students receiving their Washington State teaching certificates.
Expect traffic delays near stadium
The UW Transportation Office advises motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to avoid Husky Stadium on Saturday, June 14, for the UW’s graduation ceremony beginning at 1:30 p.m.
With as many as 40,000 people expected to attend this year’s graduation ceremony, the area around Husky Stadium will be congested the entire afternoon with both pedestrians and vehicles arriving and departing from the stadium between noon and 6 p.m.
At approximately 3:30 p.m., Seattle Police will begin to set up traffic controls that will close Montlake Boulevard between NE Pacific Street and NE 45th Street to through traffic to help move cars parked in the stadium lots away from the area after the ceremony. Traffic approaching the closure will be detoured around the area. This restriction, which is similar to traffic routing for Husky football games, will be in effect until approximately 5:30 p.m.
Because of the high number of pedestrians in the area, drivers are asked to be patient, drive slowly through the area, and, if not attending the event, consider taking alternate routes to their destinations.
For those people traveling south needing to access the UW Hospital, take 15th Avenue NE to NE Pacific Street. Montlake Boulevard will be closed from NE Pacific Street and NE 45th Street. Those traveling north may still travel across the Montlake bridge and turn left on NE Pacific Street, but should expect delays. Consider the University Bridge or the Ship Canal (I-5) bridge instead.
