University of Arizona Confers Some 6,700 Degrees Friday

TUCSON, AZ — The red and blue shines bright in Tucson Friday night as University of Arizona President Robert Robbins confers some 6,700 degrees to students at Arizona Stadium.

NASA astronaut, physician and engineer Dr. Mae C. Jemison will deliver the keynote address.

The commencement includes students who've earned their bachelor's, master's, docotorates and juris doctorate degrees during the 2018-2019 school year.

Jemison served six years as a NASA astronaut and founded two companies before creating a nonprofit that promotes STEM education.

Seven graduating students will be presented with awards during the commencement. The Provost Award will be given to Anita Jones, who is graduating with a Bachelor's of Applied Science.

The Robert Nugent Award this year goes to Tala Shahin and Alexa Nguyen. Shahin is graduating summa cum laude with two degrees. Nguyen, also a summa cum laude graduate, has earned a degree in molecular and cellular biology.

The Robie Gold Medal Awards go to Francy Luna Diaz and Bryn Deana Sharp. Both will walk with bachelor's in political science and Spanish and Latin American studies, respectively. Both are graduating with summa cum laude honors.

Two students are taking home Merril P. Freeman Medals. Katrina M. Konopka has earned a bachelor's in chemistry and Yezan Hassan, a "quadruple major honors student" graduating summa cum laude with four bachelor's degrees: neuroscience, molecular and cellular biology, Arabic and physiology.

Parking, stadium policies and the commencement programs can be downloaded from the commencement page on the University of Arizona website.