Nearly 6,000 students are eligible to graduate this year, with ceremonies running from May 31- June 17

The University of California, Riverside’s 65th commencement will celebrate 5,857 eligible graduates.

The nine ceremonies include 4,797 graduates with bachelor’s degrees; 691 with master’s degrees; 340 with doctorate degrees; and 32 with credentials. Commencement ceremonies are scheduled between May 31 and June 17. 

As with every graduating class, UC Riverside takes pride in every student who leaves the campus ready to start a bright future, said Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox.

“We honor their hard work, commitment and many sacrifices ¬— from staying up late writing, researching or creating, to balancing jobs, family obligations, and personal lives,” Wilcox said. “It is an honor to be a part of this pivotal time in their lives, and a joy to see them fulfill their dreams.”  

UC Riverside’s commitment to its students is both qualitative and quantitative. Most recently, the Forbes and U.S. News and World Report rankings have demonstrated that UCR is a university on the rise, impacting social mobility. 

Each year, the campus welcomes close to 40,000 people who come to cheer on their graduates. This year, the School of Medicine and the Graduate Division hooding ceremonies will take place at the Student Recreation Center north. The remaining seven will be held on Pierce Lawn, east of the bell tower. See below for a complete list. 

Guests attending the ceremonies must have a ticket and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For details, visit: commencement.ucr.edu. Guests who are sensitive to heat may view the graduation ceremonies in the University Lecture Hall or Watkins 1000. These lecture halls are climate controlled and will broadcast a live video feed of each ceremony on a large screen. No tickets are required for entrance into these locations. 

Meet some of the 2019 graduates:

Yasamin Bolourian: She didn’t take a straightforward path to becoming a researcher specializing in child autism, but the long journey allowed her to find her calling.

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Andrea Cruz Castillo: Juggling a heavy academic workload with caring for a baby and a toddler as a single mom required careful scheduling, long hours, and plenty of support from her family.

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Alejandro De Santiago Perez: His goal is to become a professor. He thinks more students need to see that scientists can also look like him: Latino, first-generation, from modest economic means.

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Ramón Leija: Leija was 17 when he was incarcerated at a juvenile detention center. Eleven years later, he’s double majoring and preparing for the next step: law school. 

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Kyle McCann: In the 2018-19 season, UCR had its best-ever record, 20-16. McCann is UCR’s all-time singles, doubles, and combined matches winner.

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Cebrina Nolan: She excitedly came to UCR as a first-generation student. Soon Nolan will head to the University of Queensland in Australia to study funnel web spider toxins. 

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Chiamaka Offorjebe: This future PepsiCo associate was raised without her parents since the age of 9. Her resiliency transformed into grit.

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Viresha Perera: As an international student, her family supported her application to UCR in every way, including waiting outside the U.S. Consulate when she went for her visa interview. 

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Mark Sebarrotin: Poverty and homelessness didn’t stop Sebarrotin. He participated in programs in Sacramento, Washington, D.C., and this summer he’s off to a fellowship in San Francisco. 

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Hurnan Vongsachang: As a child, seeing a doctor often meant a six-hour car ride. This summer, she starts residency training in emergency medicine at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center.

 

 

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Commencement ceremonies

Friday, May 31 
6 p.m. School of Medicine Commencement/Hippocratic oath ceremony
M.D. degree recipients
Location: Student Recreation Center North, main gymnasium

Saturday, June 1
9 a.m. Graduate Division hooding ceremony
All doctorate and Masters in Fine Arts degree candidates
Location: Student Recreation Center North, main gymnasium

Friday, June 14
6 p.m. School of Business
Master's and bachelor’s degree candidates
Location: Pierce Lawn

Saturday, June 15
8 a.m. College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Master's and bachelor’s degree candidates
Location: Pierce Lawn

6 p.m. College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, group 1
Master's and bachelor’s degree candidates in the departments of anthropology, economics, history and political science
Location: Pierce Lawn

Sunday, June 16
8 a.m. College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, group 2
Master's and bachelor’s degree candidates in the departments of Art, Art History, Asian Studies, Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages, Creative Writing, Dance, English, Ethnic Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Global Studies, Hispanic Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Latin American Studies, Liberal Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, Middle East and Islamic Studies, Music, Religious Studies, Theatre, Film & Digital Production 
Location: Pierce Lawn

6 p.m. College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, group 3
Master's and bachelor’s degree candidates in the departments of philosophy, psychology and sociology  
Location: Pierce Lawn

Monday, June 17
9 a.m. Graduate School of Education and School of Public Policy
Master's and bachelor's degree candidates and teacher credential candidates
Location: Pierce Lawn

6 p.m. Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering
Master's and bachelor’s degree candidates
Location: Pierce Lawn
 
Information for guests, including parking and directions: commencement.ucr.edu.

UCR campus map: campusmap.ucr.edu.