The Spring 2018 Graduate Hooding Ceremony took place at Thompson-Boling Arena on May 10 and it was a wonderful ceremony. Congratulations to all of our graduates and everyone appreciates your sharing this moment with us.
Vincent Ray Price, PHD in Teacher Education
Besides the over 400 doctoral, master’s and specialist in education graduates who participated in the ceremony, graduate students played other important roles in the ceremony. Sergio C. Bedford, the outgoing Graduate Student Senate president, started off the proceedings as program announcer. Emily Simmons, who graduated spring 2018 with a Master of Music in vocal performance, led the audience in the national anthem to begin the ceremony, and the alma mater to close. Joe Lybarger, who is working on his PhD in Communication Studies, read over 300 names of master’s candidates to announce their arrival on stage. And Vincent Ray Price, who received his hood last night as a PhD in Teacher Education, served as our student speaker, reminding us to “dedicate our energy to filling the air with sounds that we ourselves need to hear, for the sake of who we are as educators, as scholars and researchers, as parents and children, as members of the community, as citizens to whatever nation we belong, as people.”
Members of the UT faculty and administration were on hand to show their support for the graduates. Among the deans and dignitaries on stage were Interim Provost John Zomchick, who had the honor of conferring degrees, and our own Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, Dixie L. Thompson. We were also joined by Stacey Patterson, Vice President for Research, Outreach and Economic Development for the UT system. Patterson added her own words to the encouragement, enthusiasm and congratulations expressed by others at the podium. Many faculty came to serve as hooder for their doctoral graduates, while others came just to share in the joy as students from their departments received the recognition that they have worked for over the past years.
Congratulations again to our graduates!