Renowned musician Yusef Lateef received the Distinguished Achievement Award.
AMHERST – More than 1,200 University of Massachusetts students received their masters, doctorates, and certificates of advanced studies Friday during the Graduate Commencement ceremonies at the Mullins Center.
Among then were 22 veterans and two spouses of veterans. According to UMass Chancellor Robert C. Holub, who made the opening remarks, the graduates hail from 48 states and 49 nations.
“Our students are clearly making their mark in the world,” Holub said, citing the achievements of past graduates. “We look forward in the coming years to hearing of your future accomplishments.”
President Jack M. Wilson, noting how rapidly the world is changing, predicted that the graduates present Friday will have a hand in steering it in a positive direction.
“You can change our world,” he said, “perhaps curing diseases yet to be named.”
Doctoral theses of Friday’s graduates range from the arcane — “Lacustrine Records of Holocene Climate and Environmental Change from the Lofoten Islands, Norway ” — to the mundane — “Living With a Depressed Partner” — to the to the sublime — “Dawn Song of the Tree Swallow.”
The university bestowed an honorary Doctor of Science degree on environment writer Bill McKibben. Renowned musician Yusef A. Lateef received the Distinguished Achievement Award.