The University of Georgia will welcome its newest alumni on May 7 and 8. A total of 9,477 students — 6,537 spring undergraduates and 1,055 expected summer undergraduates along with 1,885 graduate students — have met requirements to participate in the university’s spring Commencement.
The undergraduate ceremony is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Sanford Stadium on May 8. DJ Shockley, highly awarded former UGA and Atlanta Falcons quarterback, will give the address.
Shockley was a quarterback at UGA from 2002 to 2005, where he led the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship, highlighted by an upset victory over No. 3 LSU at the Georgia Dome in December 2005. He was named the game’s MVP, earned the FCA Bobby Bowden Football Player of the Year Award, finished third in voting for the Associated Press Player of the Year and guided Georgia to a 10-3 record and a No. 10 national ranking in the AP Poll during his senior season.
He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2006 NFL Draft, becoming the first UGA player drafted by the franchise since 1994. Shockley spent four seasons with the Falcons.
Following his playing career, Shockley transitioned into broadcast media, co-hosting sports programs on CW69, FOX 5 and 92.9FM, while serving as a regular contributor to AtlantaFalcons.com and WSB-TV. He now serves as sports director for FOX 5. A three-time Emmy Award winner, Shockley has translated the leadership, preparation and competitive mindset that defined his playing days into a successful broadcasting career.
Blake Witmer, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, has been selected by her peers to deliver a speech on behalf of her graduating class.
UGA will recognize 171 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 274 doctoral candidates and 1,611 master’s and specialist degree students will be eligible to walk in the graduate ceremonies in Stegeman Coliseum on May 7. The master’s and specialist ceremony will begin at 10 a.m., and the doctoral ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m. Meg Amstutz, dean of the Jere W. Morehead Honors College, will deliver the address at the graduate ceremonies.
As the Morehead Honors College dean, Amstutz oversees college operations, the campus-wide Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities and the Foundation Fellowship, the university’s most prestigious academic scholarship.
She previously served as associate provost for academic programs and chief of staff in the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, leading university-wide initiatives and supervising the offices of Academic Programs and Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness. From 2019 to 2023, she served as UGA’s accreditation liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, guiding the university’s reaccreditation process and ensuring continued compliance with accreditation standards.
Her career at the University of Georgia began in 1997 with 16 years in UGA’s Office of the President, including six as chief of staff. She holds the Jere W. Morehead Distinguished Professorship and a courtesy appointment in the department of English.
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.