Accomplishments, hard work honored at 2015 Graduate Division Commencement

Empowerment, discovery, achievement, and humanitarianism were the predominant themes during UC Santa Barbara Graduate Division's Commencement celebration Sunday on the Faculty Club Green. An audience of enthusiastic family and friends cheered on the 420 graduates as they received their master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and certificates.

Chancellor Henry T. Yang acknowledged the hard work and sacrifices not only of the graduates but also of their families. "I know what it took to get you where you are today," he told the students. "You have met the highest standards of our university and your professors," he said.

"You as graduate students have been indispensable partners in our research and teaching work," Chancellor Yang added. "In fact, when we recruit faculty, the excellence and diversity of our graduate students are key factors of attraction. Our undergraduates learn from you and see you as their inspirational role models. Our professors work with you and see you as our research collaborators."

In her address, Graduate Division Dean Carol Genetti told the graduates that they have become authorities in their fields. "This is a moment to recognize your empowerment," she said.

"Your power and authority," she added, "have come from countless hours spent in study and concentration - from pushing yourself to grasp original concepts and formulate new ideas; from applying your creativity to complex problems; from bringing into the light that which was previously invisible."

Along with that education comes a duty, Dean Genetti reminded the graduates. "Always remember that with the privilege of your advanced degree comes a profound responsibility to enable positive change."

Commencement student speaker and Education doctoral candidate Mario Galicia Jr. had a similar message for his fellow graduates. He spoke about the faculty, colleagues, family, and friends who offered him guidance and support through the years and encouraged him to pursue his goals.

"They've taught me to believe in myself and trust in others, shifting my perspective in life from seeking what's best for me to what's best for us," he said.

He encouraged graduates to "engage local youth organizations wherever you go from here. Reach out to them, tell them who you are, what you do. Ask how you can help. The way in which we treat our youth can make a huge difference with how our future will look. We can all begin by understanding the privilege that our degrees bestow upon us and finding a way to help others in a lesser situation."

He ended his speech by leading the graduates in a rousing "communal moment": the Unity Clap.

The keynote speaker, Executive Vice Chancellor David Marshall, spoke of the value of research, whether visible or not.

"Whatever our disciplines or career paths, we must argue for the value of voyages of discovery, voyages that take us through history to the origins of the universe, voyages that take us to the future," he said. "We must demonstrate the value of what we do. But we must not lose sight of the value that may not be visible. Unsuspected Nobel Prizes, untold strokes of genius. ... And this is the work that makes our university worth defending."

The Winifred and Louis Lancaster Dissertation Awards were presented to Kenneth Hough and Patrick Keeley. Kenneth (Ph.D., History, 2014) was recognized as the Lancaster recipient for the best dissertation in the field of Arts and Humanities for his dissertation on imagining a Japanese conquest of the United States, 1900-1945. Patrick (Ph.D., Molecular, Cellular and Marine Biology, 2013) was the recipient of the Lancaster award for the best dissertation in the field of Biological and Life Sciences for his brain research.

The ceremony included beautiful renditions of the National Anthem and the University Song by Keith Colclough, D.M.A. in Music.

In closing her address, Dean Genetti challenged the graduates. "You leave this institution with remarkable skills: of reasoning, discernment, ethics, communication, collaboration, research, and leadership," she said. "Keep in touch with the campus. Stay involved. We wish you the best of luck and great success in all that life offers you."

You may view an album of photos, Graduate Division Commencement 2015, on the GradPost Facebook page.
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