Watch Live as UK Celebrates Newest Alumni
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 12, 2012) — UK students will trade their coats and gloves for caps and gowns this Friday as the University holds its third December Commencement ceremonies. Honoring students who earned their degrees in August or December, both ceremonies will take place in Memorial Coliseum on UK's campus. Graduate and professional degrees will be conferred at 1:30 p.m. Undergraduate degrees will be conferred at 6 p.m.
Friends and family of graduates who cannot make it to Lexington do not have to miss out on this special event. UK is utilizing social media and other technology to bring Commencement directly to one’s computer or mobile device.
Both the graduate and professional students and undergraduate Commencement ceremonies will be live-streamed online at www.uky.edu/uknow, the university’s daily news website. Fifteen minutes prior to each ceremony's beginning, “Live from the Blue Carpet” will air and feature students, faculty and special guests as they prepare for Commencement and will be hosted by UK students.
The graduate and professional student ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m., with the preshow starting at 1:15 p.m. The undergraduate ceremony begins at 6 p.m., with the preshow beginning at 5:45 p.m. Both ceremonies will be carried live on UK's Insight Cable channel 16.
Followers of UK’s Twitter account (twitter.com/universityofky) can follow along with the Commencement activities via live tweets prior to and during the event. Twitter users are also encouraged to use the hashtag #ukgrad to honor all our graduates.
More than 700 undergraduates and 170 graduate and professional students are expected to participate in Friday's exercises.
UK President Eli Capilouto will deliver remarks at both ceremonies. In addition, and keeping with university tradition, a student will address the crowd at the undergraduate ceremony. Luis Orta, a graduating senior and student athlete from Caracas, Venezuela will deliver the commencement address. A member of the UK men's track and field team, Orta secured SEC championships in both the 3K and 5K races in 2012 and holds the Venezuelan national record for the mile. Orta will receive a dual degree in International Studies and Hispanic Studies.
The UK Board of Trustees will also recognize three individuals with honorary degrees, musician James Dee ("J.D.") Crowe, universally recognized as a great ambassador for Kentucky, and for bluegrass music, and Charles L. Shearer,former president of Transylvania University, will be honored at the undergraduate ceremony; David L. Lollis, past president of Appalbanc, will be honored at the graduate ceremony.
The UK Graduate School will hold a reception to honor its graduates following the 1:30 p.m. graduate and professional ceremony. The graduates will recess to the Singletary Center for the Arts where the reception will be held. Parents and guests should make arrangements to meet their graduate at the reception.
The UK Alumni Association will host a Commencement Open House at the King Alumni House both before and after the Commencement activities. The association will provide: free refreshments, a free gift for graduates and individuals who join the association, access to any supplies students may need for the ceremony, such as bobby pins, safety pins, etc., the opportunity to update contact information, and a display of the UK Class Ring Collection. For more information, click here.
Other receptions include:
College of Design: Friday, Dec. 14, 3:30-5 p.m., Pence Hall, Room 207.
College of Engineering: Friday, Dec. 14, 3-5 p.m., Marksbury Building Lobby and Auditorium.
College of Nursing pinning ceremony: Dec. 14, 11 a.m., Singletary Center, reception afterwards.
Graduates can view the ceremonies the week after Commencement, on the university’s YouTube site at www.youtube.com/universityofkentucky.
MEDIA CONTACT: Sarah Geegan, (859) 257-5365; sarah.geegan@uky.edu