Commencement Spring 2012    

TAMUG to hold spring commencement ceremony on May 12.

GALVESTON (May 7, 2012) — Texas A&M University at Galveston will recognize 215 potential graduates during the spring commencement ceremony to be held at 9 am, May 12 (Saturday) in the Exhibit Hall of the Galveston Island Convention Center, located at 5600 Seawall Boulevard at the San Luis Resort.

A total of 204 bachelor’s degrees, eight master’s degrees and three doctoral degrees are slated to be awarded. Graduates will receive degrees in Maritime Studies, Marine Biology, Marine Engineering Technology, Marine Fisheries, Marine Sciences, Marine Transportation, Maritime Administration, Maritime Systems Engineering, Ocean and Coastal Resources and University Studies.

Eight honor graduates will be recognized during the ceremony. These graduates will be wearing a maroon and white patch on their honors stole indicating they completed the honors program curriculum and received a 3.5 GPA average or greater. An estimated six veterans will be graduating. All veterans at the ceremony will be wearing red, white and blue cords symbolizing their service to the United States.

During the ceremony, a student with the highest grade point average in the class will be observing a TAMUG commencement tradition by striking a bell eight times. This indicates that members of the current graduating class have achieved their goals at TAMUG and are now ready to embark on the next stage of their lives. This observance is a reflection of the time-honored sea tradition of striking a bell eight times on a ship to acknowledge a change of watch.

In addition to traditions and symbols, the ceremony will include those honored with the Board of Visitors Distinguished Student Awards. The Board of Visitors is the advisory board to Rear Admiral Robert Smith III, president and CEO of TAMUG. The BOV awards are given to a total of four students — one from each class — who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in classroom and laboratory work as well as in student activities.

A graduate will also receive the Edwin Eikel Outstanding Student Award. Presented to a graduating senior since 1978, this award is given to the graduate who has best demonstrated those qualities of leadership, patriotism, fortitude, intelligence, courage, humility and the many other sterling traits of character exemplified by Edwin Eikel during his lifetime.

James HackettGraduates seeking careers in the U.S. Navy will also be recognized at commencement as well as commissioning ceremonies. Four degree candidates who took part in Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program and/or the Strategic Sealift Officer Programs will be commissioned as Ensigns during a ceremony to be held at 1 pm on May 11 (Friday) in Room 100, Classroom Laboratory Building. The building is located on the TAMUG campus on Pelican Island. Those commissioned officers will also be recognized at commencement on Saturday.

This year’s commencement speaker will be James T. Hackett, chairman and CEO of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, one of the world’s largest independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies.

Hackett has also served as chairman, president, CEO and/or executive vice president of several corporations. These corporations include Devon Energy, Ocean Energy, Sea Gull Energy, Duke Energy and Pan Energy. His energy experience also includes positions in engineering, finance and marketing with NGC Corporation, Burlington Resources and Amoco Oil Company. He also served as director of Bunge Ltd. and Fluor Corporation.

Hackett also serves on boards for several industry associations including America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA), the American Petroleum Institute, the National Petroleum Council and the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

In addition to participation in industry association boards, Hackett serves as member, chairman and/or vice chairman on boards related to banking and business, medicine and science, the arts and global concerns as well as education. These boards include the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and the Business Roundtable; the Baylor College of Medicine and the Welch Foundation for Chemistry; the Houston Grand Opera Board and the Trilateral Commission. He is also a Board Member and adjunct professor at Rice University.

Hackett holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Illinois and a master of business administration degree from Harvard University. He and his wife Maureen have four children.

For those attending the ceremony, parking will be available at the convention center garage. Access to garage is located at a parking entrance at 56th Street as well the entrance between the Hilton Hotel and the convention center. Overflow parking is available on the sea wall and valet parking is available at the Hilton Hotel. 

For more information about the TAMUG commencement, contact Cathy Cashio at (409) 740-4830 or (214) 475-6431 or by email at cashioc@tamug.edu.

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