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!

Congratulations to all our graduate and professional students that are graduating spring 2018! We hope to see you all at the Spring 2018 Graduate Hooding Ceremony. If you are participating in the ceremony, please be there at 6:00 p.m.

A few other items to remember:

• The Clear Bag Policy is in effect tonight. Not sure what that means? Details at Thompson-Boling.
• Parking at G10 is your best option.
• Use the #uthooding2018 hashtag to share on social media.

If you’re a doctoral graduate:

• Be at the Ray Mears Room at 6:00 p.m.
• Have your regalia with you.

If you’re a master’s or specialist in education graduate:

• Get there at 6:00 p.m.
• Enter at the East Entrance of Thompson Boling
• Check-in at the Master’s Check-in table.
• After getting your card, be seated in your college’s area.

Most of all, have a great time! We’re looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Left to right: Cathy Leach, trumpet; Alex Van Duuren, trombone; Alex Lapins, tuba; Katie Johnson, horn; Elise Armstrong, trumpet

The Graduate School is pleased to have the UT Faculty Brasswind Quintet play at the Spring 2018 Graduate Hooding Ceremony. Made up of four UT music faculty members and one graduate music student, this ensemble performs regularly on campus, throughout the greater Knoxville area, and throughout the state and region. They have premiered many brass quintet works by various composers, including pieces by UT composition faculty. Maintaining a busy and diverse chamber music performance schedule is central to the pedagogy these musicians share with their students, and is a critical link to engaging the arts and arts-education communities of the state of Tennessee.

Anyone planning to attend the Spring 2018 Graduate Hooding Ceremony should be aware that Thompson Boling maintains a Clear Bag Policy for the security of everyone. We have a page with a basic guide to the policy, but to be sure what you can and can’t bring to the ceremony, you may want to check the Thompson Boling site.

If you are a participant in the ceremony, realize that there is no secure place to leave any of your items, so we recommend that you don’t bring anything that you can’t carry securely on your person.