Texas Tech University to Honor Graduates
December 14, 2009
By: Leslie Cranford
More than 2,000 students will receive undergraduate and graduate diplomas this weekend.
Texas Tech University will award diplomas to 2,064 students during graduation exercises
Dec. 18 and 19.
The commencement speaker for all ceremonies is Texas Tech University System Chancellor
Kent Hance.
Texas Tech’s Graduate School will hold its commencement ceremony at 4 p.m. Friday
(Dec. 18) in the United Spirit Arena, 1701 Indiana Ave., in Lubbock. The ceremony
is free and open to the public; parking also is free.
Undergraduate commencement ceremonies are scheduled for 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Saturday
(Dec. 19), in the United Spirit Arena.
The morning ceremony includes students in the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences and
Natural Resources, Human Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts, the Edward E. Whitacre
Jr. College of Engineering and the Rawls College of Business.
The afternoon observance includes the Colleges of Architecture, Arts and Sciences,
Mass Communications, Education, the Honors College and students receiving a Bachelor's
in University Studies.
The Texas Tech School of Law hooding ceremony is at 5 p.m. Saturday in the Student
Union Building’s Allen Theater. The speaker is Glenn West, class of 1978, who is a
partner at Weil Gotshal and Manges in Dallas. He is a 2008 distinguished alumnus of
the Law School.
Outstanding students will carry banners representing their respective colleges. Administrators
selected the banner bearers based on all-around achievement.
The banner bearers are:
- Kristen Farrington Hillger, agricultural and applied economics, San Antonio, College
of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- Micah Ross Henry, architecture, Midland, College of Architecture
- Darci Dianne Barney, microbiology and mathematics, Lubbock, College of Arts and Sciences
- Leslee Dayne Schneider, multidisciplinary studies, Bosque Farms, N.M., College of
Education
- Amanda Rae Gordon, mechanical engineering, San Antonio, Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College
of Engineering
- Katy L. Taylor, nutritional science, Midland (morning ceremony), and Kelly O’Neill,
political science, Dallas (afternoon ceremony), Honors College
- Holly Leigh Erica Lambert, human development and family studies, Amarillo, College
of Human Sciences
- Ashley Nicole Hoptay, public relations/business, Plano, College of Mass Communications
- Katy Wright, honors studies, Colleyville, College of Outreach and Distance Education
- Alyssa Kelly Boren, international business/Spanish minor, Amarillo, Rawls College
of Business
- Kristen Margaret Briggs, general studies, Lubbock, College of Visual and Performing
Arts
Selected to carry the banner for the Graduate School is Robert C. Schaller from Lubbock,
who this semester receives his doctor of philosophy in Mass Communications.
Also recognized during commencement exercises will be bachelor’s degree candidates
with the highest grade-point-averages in their respective colleges. Highest ranking
December graduates for each college are:
- Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources: Hillger
- Architecture: Henry
- Arts and Sciences: Juliet Yassamin Azarani, political science, Lake Dallas; Michael
Benjamin Henderson, social work, Lubbock; Ruiyang Jiang, biochemistry, Tianjin, China;
Bonnie Jean Krejci, English, Denton; and Tiffany Nicole Parrish, psychology and sociology,
Largo Vista
- Education: Schneider
- Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering: Gordon
- Human Sciences: Lambert, and Christopher Grady McLain, human development and family
studies, Vernon
- Mass Communications: Hoptay; Jessica Elaine Benham, public relations, San Angelo;
and Elizabeth Dean Elliott, journalism, Temple
- Rawls College of Business: Boren; Hoptay; Ashley D. Ahlgren, accounting, Richland,
Wash.; Benjamin Bahlmann, accounting, Houston; Erin D’Ann Dipprey, accounting, Hale
Center; Andrew Thomas Silverthorn, accounting, El Paso; Brant E. Wischnewsky, accounting/music
minor, Tomball; and James A. Davis, management, Cypress
- Outreach and Distance Education: Wright
- Visual and Performing Arts: Briggs
For more information on commencement or college receptions, visit
Texas Tech’s commencement Web site, or call (806) 742-7742.