Out and About
The Class of 2017 Celebrates UAlbany’s 173rd Commencement
More than 3,300 undergraduate and graduate students joined the UAlbany alumni family upon receiving their degrees Commencement Weekend, May 19-21.
Undergraduate ceremony
Akeela Makshood, a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence recipient and honors student, thanked UAlbany for shaping her unique path and providing the resources needed to achieve her goals. Here, she shares an embrace with her mother and sister.
U.S. Navy Capt. Scott Kelly, also a first-generation college student, inspired graduates to push their limits and reach for the sky.
More than 500 students, parents, and organizations raised over $20,000 for the Senior Class Gift to aid in the creation of a memorial on campus that will honor the 19 UAlbany alumni who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
Thirty-one percent of students were the first in their families to earn a four-year degree. Congratulations, “UAlbany Firsts!”
Graduate ceremony
Smiles abounded as 900 doctoral and master’s degrees were conferred. Degree recipients hailed from 19 states and 26 nations, with females making up 63 percent of the class. The graduates’ average age was 29, with the oldest student earning a doctorate at 76 and the youngest receiving a master’s degree at 20.
Baccalaureate Tourch Reception
Families, friends, and undergraduates celebrated their achievements and were welcomed into the UAlbany alumni community at the Torch Ceremony held around the fountain Saturday evening.
Student Association President Felix Abreu ’17 lit the University Torch, symbolizing the idea that knowledge, once acquired, can never be extinguished.