The University of Georgia will welcome its newest alumni on May 9 and 10 as 6,627 undergraduates and 1,691 graduate students—a total of 8,318—have met requirements to participate in the university’s spring Commencement ceremonies.
The undergraduate ceremony is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Sanford Stadium on May 10. Allison Schmitt, one of the most decorated American athletes of all time and University of Georgia alumna, will give the address.
Schmitt received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from UGA in 2014. She is a four-time Olympian and 10-time Olympic medalist in swimming. A veteran leader, Schmitt, who is called “Schmitty” by many of her friends and fellow athletes, was elected captain by her teammates at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. She is still the current American record holder in the 200 meter freestyle, which she has held since 2009.
Schmitt is also an avid mental health advocate, and she has spoken widely about her personal struggles with depression and the loss of a family member to suicide. Schmitt is passionate about helping those battling mental health issues, and she graduated in May 2023 with a master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University.
She plans to use her degrees and her collegiate and Olympic athletic experiences to empower others to overcome personal battles.
Trent Nesbit, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in economics, was selected by his peers as the student speaker for the undergraduate ceremony.
UGA will recognize 127 students as First Honor Graduates for maintaining a 4.0 cumulative GPA in all work attempted at UGA as well as all college-level transfer work prior to or following enrollment at the university.
An estimated 281 doctoral candidates and 1,410 master’s and specialist degree students will be eligible to walk in the graduate ceremonies in Stegeman Coliseum on May 9. The master’s and specialists ceremony will begin at 10 a.m., and the doctoral ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Jenna Jambeck, Regents’ Professor and Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Environmental Engineering, will deliver the graduate Commencement address at both ceremonies. Jambeck is a 2022 MacArthur Fellow, the 2024 SEC Professor of the Year, and founder of the Circularity Informatics Lab at UGA.
Jambeck’s research has resulted in international acclaim, and her work has received attention from Congressional leaders, the G7, the G20, and the United Nations Environment program. She has also conducted public environmental diplomacy as an international informational speaker for the U.S. Department of State since 2017.
She is co-developer of Marine Debris Tracker, a mobile app that leverages citizen scientists to identify trash and debris throughout the world. To date, users of the app have documented more than 8 million pieces of litter and debris.
The clear bag policy will be in effect for all ceremonies. Parking is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The graduate and undergraduate ceremonies will be broadcast live on the Commencement homepage.
For more information, please visit https://commencement.uga.edu.
