Iowa State to hold commencement ceremonies May 15-17
May 14, 2025
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University will celebrate spring graduates with commencement and college ceremonies May 15-17.
An estimated 4,770 students are expected to complete their degrees. This includes an estimated 3,955 undergraduate students, as well as 528 students earning a master’s degree, 138 students earning a Ph.D. and 149 veterinary medicine candidates.
Iowa State will hold five commencement ceremonies over the course of three days:
Graduate College, 7 p.m. May 15, at Hilton Coliseum
Veterinary Medicine, 1 p.m. May 16, at Stephens Auditorium
Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Business, 9 a.m. May 17, at Hilton
Colleges of Design, Engineering, 2 p.m. May 17, at Hilton
Colleges of Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, 7 p.m. May 17, at Hilton
Iowa State is implementing additional security measures, including walk-through scanners and a clear-bag policy, for all commencement ceremonies. Guests are encouraged to arrive early and use the north, south and lower west entrances of Hilton and the north and southwest entrances at Stephens. The university also offers a livestream for each ceremony.
Honorary degrees, commencement speakers
Larry Buss and John “J.R.” Robinson will receive honorary degrees during spring commencement ceremonies. Buss, who earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Iowa State, is a leader in Iowa agriculture for his innovative approaches to farming. He also is recognized for flood mitigation efforts along the Missouri River and his work as chief of hydrologic engineering for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Buss will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
Robinson is a globally recognized drummer who has helped define generations of music. He has been instrumental in more than 50 Grammy winning records, contributed to more than 30 No. 1 hit records and was recognized as Rolling Stone’s “Top 100 Drummers of All Time.” Robinson, who grew up in Iowa, will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Featured speakers for the five commencement ceremonies include (full speaker bios):
ISU Distinguished Professor Patrick Schnable will speak at the Graduate College ceremony. Schnable directs Iowa State's Plant Sciences Institute, which fosters collaborations between plant scientists, engineers and data scientists. He also co-leads the Genomes to Fields Initiative.
Veterinarian Karen Shaw Becker will speak at the College of Veterinary Medicine ceremony. Dr. Becker is a New York Times best-selling author and animal advocate. As the world’s most followed veterinarian on Facebook, she provides practical health information for pet owners.
Entrepreneur Roger Underwood will speak at the morning commencement ceremony. Underwood cofounded Becker Underwood in 1982 to develop a specialty colorant to mark herbicide application, resulting in more efficient farming practices. Underwood earned a degree in agricultural business from Iowa State.
Retired global business executive Thomas Bluth will speak at the afternoon commencement ceremony. Bluth earned an electrical engineering degree with honors from Iowa State. For 13 years of his career, he served as senior vice president and corporate officer for Caterpillar.
Distinguished Alumnus Thomas Smith will speak at the evening commencement ceremony. Smith’s passion for innovation in geoscience began early in his career. He and his wife, Evonne, founded Seismic MicroTechnology, which developed one of the first PC-based software platforms that became the world’s leading PC geoscience application.
More celebrations
The six undergraduate colleges also will honor graduating students at their own convocations and receptions on Friday or Saturday morning. Click on the college name for a link to the event livestream or reception details.
Parking is available between Hilton Coliseum and Jack Trice Stadium and in the lots north of Hilton and the Scheman Building. Additional parking is available at Jack Trice Stadium and Maple Willow Larch (click here for parking maps).
Guests should plan to arrive early to find parking; carpooling is encouraged. Handicap parking is available in lot C2, directly south of Hilton.
Celebrating student success
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As graduation day nears, Amos Barrios-Muñoz is preparing to wear two uniforms. One is a cap and gown for the commencement ceremony when he’ll receive a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, and the other is a military uniform for an overseas deployment with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the U.S. Iowa Army National Guard.
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From the moment he discovered he’d received the Hixson Opportunity Award at Iowa State University, Elijah Moore was determined to make the most of his college experience—and he did exactly that. Now graduating with a double major in psychology and philosophy, Moore leaves behind a legacy of involvement, leadership, and enthusiasm.
Ellie Lashier shares her musical journey at Iowa State
Ellie Lashier has always loved music. So when she had the chance to study piano performance at Iowa State, she knew right away that it was a great fit. Along the way, Lashier took advantage of several opportunities to teach piano lessons or perform at various events, and decided that maybe she could be an entrepreneur in the music field.
