On Saturday, June 13, 2020, we will honor the department’s graduating students through virtual celebrations.
The Departmental 2020 Virtual Graduation Celebration for our 30 graduating Ph.D. degree candidates and two master of science candidates can be viewed here no later than Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Because the virtual celebration has been pre-recorded, it will be accessible at any time after that. The celebration will include a video of each student and remarks by each student’s research advisor (in lieu of a hooding ceremony).
The Departmental 2020 Virtual Graduation Celebration for our 299 bachelor’s of science degree candidates can be viewed here. The website will be accessible no later than Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Because the virtual celebration has been pre-recorded, it will be accessible at any time afterwards. The celebration will include commemorative videos by students and faculty and a slideshow honoring commencement award recipients.
“The Class of 2020 has shown us their passion for science, their intellect, and their ability to withstand the most challenging and extraordinary circumstances imaginable,” said Department Chair Professor Neil Garg. “This has truly been a difficult time and they have met it with courage and persistence. We are so proud of them and all that they have accomplished.”
As a means to properly honor our graduates at a Departmental Commencement Ceremony, the department has elected to offer a full in-person graduation ceremony for students at a date to be determined. The hope is that the ceremony will take place in the 2020 calendar year if the current pandemic allows. However, attendance at our 2021 Departmental Commencement Ceremony will also be an option available to the Class of 2020.
Normally awards are presented to our students at Commencement and at our annual Departmental Awards ceremony, which has also been postponed. Learn about this year’s graduate student award recipients here and our undergraduate student award recipients here.
Our graduates will also be honored through university-wide events. UCLA’s Graduate Division will hold a virtual celebration for the Doctoral Class of 2020 on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 5 p.m. PDT. The UCLA College 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.
Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penny@chem.ucla.edu.
