DENTON (UNT), Texas – This summer, nearly 2,000 students are expected to graduate from the University of North Texas. Summer commencement ceremonies honoring their accomplishments will be held Aug. 8 (Friday) and Aug. 9 (Saturday) on the UNT campus.
More than 1,400 undergraduate students have applied for August graduation, in addition to 480 master's students and 94 doctoral students.
The weekend begins with a ceremony dedicated to master's degree recipients at 4 p.m. Aug. 8 (Friday) in the UNT Coliseum, located on the southeast corner of North Texas Boulevard and Highland Street. Each master's graduate will receive a lapel pin embossed with the UNT seal from President Gretchen Bataille. Master of fine arts candidates will wear tams and brown cords to distinguish them as MFA candidates and recipients of a terminal degree. They also will lead the processional of master's candidates in recognition of their achieving the highest degree for their discipline.
Dr. Samuel F. Atkinson, UNT professor of biological sciences, will deliver the keynote speech at the doctoral commencement ceremony at 7 p.m. Aug 8 (Friday) in the UNT Murchison Performing Arts Center, located along the north side of Interstate 35E at North Texas Boulevard.
Atkinson is a recipient of UNT's 2008-2009 Toulouse Scholars Award, which was established to recognize the contributions of Dr. Robert B. Toulouse, a former dean of the Graduate School, for accomplishments in graduate education and research. Each year the award honors a member of the tenured graduate faculty.
"Dr. Atkinson is an excellent mentor of graduate students and won this award for his outstanding teaching, research and service in his career," said Dr. Sandra Terrell, dean of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies.
With expertise in biology, environmental science and engineering, Atkinson began his teaching career in 1986 at UNT, where he became director of the Center for Remote Sensing in 1988. From 2002 until 2004, he was departmental chair of Environmental and Occupational Health in the School of Public Health at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth. In 2003, Atkinson was presented the National Environmental Excellence Award by the National Association of Environmental Professionals for his work involving marine resources in the North Atlantic Ocean.
In 1997, he was named UNT's Decker Scholar for outstanding research in science and technology. He has authored or co-authored nearly 100 scientific papers, technical reports, books and book chapters and has presented results of his research at more than 80 scientific meetings worldwide. His research has been funded by such entities as NASA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Trinity River Authority. Atkinson received a bachelor's degree in biology from Oklahoma State University in 1979 and a master's degree in environmental science in 1982 and a doctoral degree in engineering and applied science in 1985, both from the University of Oklahoma.
Baccalaureate commencement ceremonies for UNT's nine colleges and schools will be held at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Aug. 9 (Saturday) in the UNT Coliseum, southeast corner of Highland Street and North Texas Boulevard.
Baccalaureate commencement ceremonies on Aug. 9
9 a.m.
- College of Education
- College of Public Affairs and Community Service
1 p.m.
- College of Arts and Sciences
5 p.m.
- College of Business Administration
- College of Visual Arts and Design
- School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management
- School of Library and Information Sciences
- College of Music
- College of Engineering
Receptions for master's and doctoral graduates and their guests will be held immediately following each commencement on Aug. 8 (Friday) in the ballroom of UNT's Gateway Center, which is located on North Texas Boulevard between Eagle Drive and Highland Street and adjacent to the coliseum. The reception for undergraduate candidates and their guests will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 9 (Saturday) in the Gateway Center Ballroom.