UW News

June 6, 2018

Distinguished pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Danielson to speak at UW’s 143rd commencement Saturday

UW News

Graduates and their families and friends attend the UW's 142nd Annual Commencement Ceremony at the Husky Stadium.

Graduates and their families and friends attend the UW’s 142nd Annual Commencement Ceremony at the Husky Stadium.University of Washington

About 5,900 graduates, along with 50,000-plus family members, friends, faculty and other observers, are expected to attend the 143rd University of Washington commencement ceremonies at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at Husky Stadium.

UW President Ana Mari Cauce will preside as nearly 13,200 degrees are conferred, including more than 7,800 bachelor’s degrees, about 3,900 master’s degrees, more than 550 professional degrees, 14 educational specialist degrees and about 830 doctoral degrees.

Dr. Benjamin Danielson, a 1992 graduate of the UW School of Medicine, a Children’s Hospital pediatrician, a professor in the School of Medicine and director of the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, will be the featured speaker.

ben danielsonDanielson, a man The Seattle Times dubbed “a quiet hero of health care” whose work helps shape children’s lives and extends to support an entire community, is known for his humility and modesty. Yet his work has deep roots and broad impact.

Born in Boston, Danielson was placed in and then, in his words, rescued from foster care and raised by his single mom in Washington, D.C., and rural Montana. He went on to attend Harvard University and then the UW to study medicine. He completed his residency at Seattle Children’s before assuming responsibility for the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, a pediatric care center based in the heart of Seattle’s Central District, in 1999.

The ceremony will be streamed live on UWTV starting at 12:30 p.m.

Degrees are awarded to those who have completed academic requirements during the 2017-2018 academic year.

Members of the Board of Regents, deans and other representatives of the university’s 16 colleges and schools will participate in the ceremony. Many colleges and schools also have separate graduation programs and investiture ceremonies.

UW Bothell will celebrate its 27th commencement at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 10, at Safeco Field. Mary I. Yu, an associate justice on the Washington Supreme Court, will be the keynote speaker. The Class of 2018 is the largest in UW Bothell history, with more than 2,200 graduates.

UW Tacoma will celebrate its 28th commencement with two ceremonies, at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 11, at the Tacoma Dome. 1,850 degrees will be awarded. More than 100 military veterans will wear special stoles honoring their service, partially funded by a community crowd-funding campaign.

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