Biology graduate Madesh Samanu celebrates receiving his diploma during spring commencement in 2022. Photo by Christopher Gannon, Iowa State University
Editor's note: This story was updated on May 26, 2023, to correct an error in the number of gradautes.
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University will honor an estimated 4,681 spring graduates with a series of commencement ceremonies on May 11-13.
Undergraduate commencement ceremonies are Saturday in Hilton Coliseum:
- 9 a.m., Agriculture and Life Sciences, Business
- 2 p.m., Design, Engineering
- 7 p.m., Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences
All ceremonies will be livestreamed on the university registrar's YouTube channel for those unable to be on campus.
Two of the speakers at the undergraduate ceremonies are receiving honorary degrees from Iowa State.
At the morning ceremony, Temple Grandin, Distinguished Professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University, Fort Collins; animal welfare pioneer and activist for people with autism, will receive a Doctor of Science. Iowa State is honoring Grandin for an outstanding career in humane animal handling, animal welfare and related facilities design, and using her experience living with autism to influence her understanding of animal behavior.
At the evening ceremony, Trudy Huskamp Peterson, a 1967 alumna (English, history, speech communications) and first woman archivist of the United States, will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters for her advocacy in maintaining and preserving archives that involve the human rights of individuals around the world and her commitment to publicly sharing, in documents, as much of the nation's heritage as possible. She authors a monthly newsletter on archives and human rights.
Mechanical engineering alumnus Jahmy Hindman, who serves as chief technology officer at Deere & Co., Moline, Illinois, will address the audience at the afternoon ceremony. Hindman joined Deere in 1996 as a test engineer, and has served in other leadership roles, including global manager for architectures, systems and modules; and general manager and engineering manager at Deere's construction equipment factory in Tianjin, China.
Graduate ceremony
An estimated 466 master's and 119 doctoral candidates will be honored during the Graduate College ceremony at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, at Hilton Coliseum. Kevin Schalinske, Morrill Professor in the department of food science and human nutrition, will address the graduates. He received the university's Margaret Ellen White Award in 2019, which recognizes exemplary mentoring of graduate students.
Veterinary medicine
The College of Veterinary Medicine will honor its 156 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine candidates at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 12, in Stephens Auditorium. Dr. Ruby Perry, dean of the Tuskegee University (Alabama) College of Veterinary Medicine and professor of radiology, will be the featured speaker.
Perry's visit concludes Iowa State's centennial celebration of the graduation of Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson, who served as Tuskegee's third president (1935-53) and founded the United Negro College Fund. Patterson earned his DVM and master’s degree in veterinary pathology from Iowa State. He also founded Tuskegee's School of Veterinary Medicine, which remains the only veterinary medical program at a Historically Black College or University.
More celebrations
The six undergraduate colleges also will honor their graduating students at their own convocations and receptions on Friday or on Saturday morning:
- Agriculture and Life Sciences, 9 a.m. Friday, Hilton Coliseum
- Human Sciences, 1 p.m. Friday, Hilton Coliseum
- Business, 4 p.m. Friday, Hilton Coliseum
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, 7 p.m. Friday, Hilton Coliseum
- Design, 9 a.m. Saturday, Stephens Auditorium
- Engineering, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. start times Saturday, by department, various locations (software engineering, 5:30 p.m. Friday, Troxel Hall)
Parking
Due to ongoing construction of CYTown, some parking lots located between Hilton Coliseum and Jack Trice Stadium are unavailable graduation weekend. Additional parking has been identified for graduation visitors: Lots east and south of Jack Trice Stadium and lots east and north of the Maple Willow Larch residence complex. All graduates and guests are encouraged to arrive early to find parking, and carpooling is encouraged.
Handicap parking is available in lot C2, directly south of Hilton.
