Virginia Tech to honor more than 5,000 graduates at spring commencement May 14
Students, together with family and friends, will celebrate what many refer to as an achievement of a lifetime as Virginia Tech, now in its 139th year, holds commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 14.
In addition, individual college and departmental convocation ceremonies will be held throughout the day on Saturday, May 15.
Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell will deliver the keynote address at the University Commencement ceremony to be held beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Lane Stadium/Worsham Field. The University Commencement ceremony will honor the approximately 29 associate's degree candidates from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and 4,153 bachelor's degree candidates who comprise the Class of 2010.
This year, the most popular major among graduating seniors is biology, followed by mechanical engineering, finance, and human nutrition, foods, and exercise. Physics and marketing tied for the fifth most popular major.
In addition, 1,533 graduating seniors completed their baccalaureate degree programs with honors, having achieved an accumulative grade point average of at least a 3.4 on a 4.0 scale.
The number of bachelor’s degrees to be awarded from each of Virginia Tech’s seven undergraduate colleges are
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: 418
- College of Architecture and Urban Studies: 299
- College of Engineering: 929
- College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences: 884
- College of Natural Resources: 90
- Pamplin College of Business: 842
- College of Science: 691
Stephan Bieri, an internationally recognized consultant specializing in scientific evaluation and intellectual property and chairman of the scientific advisory board at Virginia Tech’s Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, will address graduate and professional degree candidates at the Graduate Commencement ceremony beginning at 3 p.m. Friday at Cassell Coliseum. Approximately 1,270 students will be honored at that ceremony -- 980 master’s degree candidates, three education specialist degree candidates, 22 Ed.D. candidates, 53 advanced graduate certificate candidates, and 213 Ph.D. candidates.
In addition, the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine will be represented by 87 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree candidates.
Virginia Tech's 30th National Capital Region commencement ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 16, at the Fairview Park Marriott Hotel in Falls Church, Va. Steve Gladis, president and CEO of Steve Gladis Communications, will speak to the approximately 300 National Capital Region graduates.
Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger will preside over the two Blacksburg ceremonies and the National Capital Region event.
Student remarks during the University Commencement ceremony include opening reflections from Angela L. Bowers of Melfa, Va., a senior majoring in human nutrition, foods, and exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; a speech by Class of 2010 President Brian R. Golden of Virginia Beach, Va., a senior majoring in communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences; and closing reflections by Nathan W. Taylor of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, a senior majoring in English in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
Lachelle Monique Waller of Blacksburg, a doctoral candidate in genetics, bioinformatics, and computational biology will share student remarks during the Graduate Commencement ceremony and Judith May Octavia Brown of Washington, Md., a doctoral candidate in human development, will provide student remarks during the National Capital Region ceremony.
At ceremonies to be held earlier in the day on Friday, 35 students will be commissioned into the United States Army, 35 will be commissioned into the United Sates Air Force, and 24 will be commissioned into the United States Navy. In addition, seven students will join the United States Marine Corps after graduation.
On Friday morning, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets ceremony will honor 140 students graduating from its program.
More information on the two Blacksburg ceremonies and the National Capital Region ceremony may be found online.
Should inclement weather be a factor for Friday’s ceremony in Lane Stadium, call the university Weather Line at (540) 231-6668 or check the university homepage.
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