This June we will honor our graduating students through virtual celebrations and then hold an in-person ceremony later during the 2020-21 academic year.
After surveying our majors and graduate students, it is clear that having an in-person commencement ceremony is important to our students. As a result, the department plans to hold an in-person graduation ceremony for our spring graduates during the 2020-21 academic year when it is safe again to gather. In the meantime, we are implementing the plans for virtual graduation festivities to take place this June. Students have already been notified by email and will be kept up-to-date on pending plans and logistics on receiving their diplomas.
“We are very proud of our graduating students for making it through this final year under such challenging circumstances,” said Department Chair Professor Neil Garg.
The UCLA College, which includes the divisions of humanities, life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences and undergraduate education and comprises about 83% of UCLA’s undergraduate population, will host a virtual celebration for spring centennial graduates on Friday, June 12, 2020 at 3 p.m. PDT, featuring an address from actor, social justice activist, bestselling author and social media star George Takei.
The Graduate Division will hold a virtual celebration for the Doctoral Class of 2020 on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 5 p.m. PDT. This will provide an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of doctoral graduates in a communal way, with mentors, peers, family and friends. The celebration will start with brief congratulatory remarks from UCLA leaders, and will then introduce a portfolio of graphics that recognize each graduate, highlighting their name, the degree being awarded, their department or program, dissertation title, and dissertation chair(s). The virtual celebration will remain accessible online for an extended period of time.
Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penny@chem.ucla.edu.
