Texas Tech Announces Spring Commencement

Thousands of students will graduate Friday and Saturday (May 16-17) during five Texas Tech University commencement ceremonies at the United Spirit Arena.

Commencement exercises for the College of Arts and Sciences begin at 3 p.m. Friday. The Graduate School will follow at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, the Rawls College of Business, Honors College, College of Media and Communication, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resourcess, Wind Energy and the Office of the Provost (B.A. University Studies) will begin their ceremony at 9 a.m. The Colleges of Architecture, Education, Engineering, Human Sciences and Visual and Performing Arts will begin commencement exercises at 1:30 p.m. The School of Law will wrap up the weekend with its hooding ceremony at 6 p.m.

All ceremonies will take place at the United Spirit Arena (18^th Street and Indiana Avenue).

Chancellor Kent R. Hance will speak at Friday and Saturday’s ceremonies while Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott will speak at the Law School hooding ceremony.

About Kent R. Hance

Hance became chancellor of the Texas Tech University System in December 2006, which was comprised of Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Since then, the System has doubled in size, growing from two universities to four with the addition of Angelo State University and creation of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso.

Under Hance’s leadership, the TTU System has set records in enrollment, research and degrees awarded. Hance, who announced his retirement for later in 2014, completed a billion-dollar capital campaign nearly a year early.

He is a former Texas state senator, Texas Railroad Commission chairman and U.S. congressman. In 1981, Hance authored President Reagan’s tax bill, which remains the largest tax cut in American history. As a congressman, Hance served on the Ways & Means, Agriculture and Science & Technology Committees.

Before his political career, Hance was a faculty member at Texas Tech University for five years. In 1973, Hance was recognized as an Outstanding Professor. Additionally, he has taught a leadership seminar class while serving as chancellor and will continue to teach this course as chancellor emeritus.

He is a founding partner of his Austin-based law firm, Hance Scarborough, LLP. A native of Dimmitt, Hance received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Texas Tech University in 1965 and his law degree from the University of Texas in 1968.

About Greg Abbott

Attorney General Abbott oversees more than 700 attorneys who represent the State of Texas. He personally has appeared in courtrooms around the state and obtained indictments against criminals charged with offenses ranging from attempted aggravated assault of a child to capital murder.

His public service career began in Houston as a state trial judge in the 129^th District Court. In 1995, then-Gov. George W. Bush appointed Abbott to the Texas Supreme Court. Twice elected to the Texas Supreme Court, Abbott earned numerous awards, including “Jurist of the Year” from the Texas Review of Law & Politics and Appellate Specialists; and “Appellate Judge of the Year” from the Texas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Attorney General Abbott has held leadership positions in numerous community organizations and served as the Honorary State Chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Texas in 2004.

A native Texan, Attorney General Abbott graduated with a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Texas and received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University, after attending Texas Tech University School of Law his first year. Shortly after graduating from law school, he was partially paralyzed by a falling tree while jogging. He and his wife Cecilia have been married for 32 years and live in Austin with their daughter, Audrey.

Banner Bearers

Outstanding students, selected based on all-around achievement, will carry banners representing their respective colleges.

The following students are banner bearers:

• College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resourcess: Layne Brice Norton, an agricultural and applied economics major from Carlesbad, N.M.
• College of Architecture: Tate Brailen Hill, an architecture major from Borger
• College of Arts and Sciences: Sarah Marie Riegler, a history major from Katy
• RawlsCollege of Business: Weston Oliver Williams, a finance major from The Colony
• College of Education: Tiffany D. Neal, a multidisciplinary studies major from Waxahachie
• College of Human Sciences: Megan Renee Falconer, an early childhood major from Carrollton, and Cynthia Renee Sacco, a nutrition major from Fort Worth
• College of Media & Communication: Alicia Rose Keene, a journalism major from Austin
• College of Visual and Performing Arts: Catherine Anne Swindle, a music performance major from Lubbock
• Graduate School: Miryam Doris Venegas Anaya, a biology doctoral student from Panama City, Republic of Panama
• Honors College: Suzanne Alkul, a biochemistry major from Lubbock; Clara Bush, an environment and the humanities major from Celina; and Cord Scorgie, a mechanical engineering and math major from Lubbock
• University Studies: Ethan Gary Rowell, a university studies major from Waco
• Whitacre College of Engineering: Jay Nunley, a chemical engineering major from Joshua

Highest-Ranking Graduates

The highest ranking fall graduates for each college include:

• College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resourcess: Keith Eugene Frazer, a horticultural and turfgrass sciences major from Cottage Grove, Minn.; Layne Brice Norton, an agricultural and applied economics major from Carlesbad, N.M. and Taylor Renee Powell, an animal sciences major from Henrietta.
• College of Architecture: Tate Brailen Hill, an architecture major from Borger.
• College of Arts and Sciences: Dhruv Gajendra-Desai Bhakta, a biochemistry from Houston; Nikolajs Konstantins Birze, a cell and molecular biology major from Denton; Jonathan Michael Clark, a physics major from Dumas; Crosby Mitchell Culp, a general studies major from Lubbock; Sydney Marie Dunnam, a psychology major from Monahans; Camille Louise Gavin, an exercise and sport sciences major from Albuquerque, N.M.; Hayley Marie Guzman, a psychology major from Kingwood; Stephanie Rene Hermanson, an exercise and sport sciences major from Midland; Trevor Bryan Hill, a communication studies major from Lubbock; Loren Palmina Hughes, a Spanish major from Coppell; Michael Aaron Ibarra a biology major from El Paso; Bridget Lindsley Key, a biochemistry major from Albuquerque, N.M.; Brittany Dawn Lancaster, a psychology major from Lubbock; Dana Michelle Layer, a biochemistry major from Albuquerque, N.M.; Ciara Nicole Luna, a general studies major from Orlando, Fla.; Justin Steven Miller, a classics major from El Paso; Hannah Nha Pham, a biology major from Sugar Land; Taylor Nicole Polk, an exercise and sport sciences major from Slaton; Sarah Elizabeth Steindl, an English major from Spring; Tabitha Kay Threatt, a cell and molecular biology from Hutto; Cameron Mark Waters, a biology major from Clovis, N.M.; Roy Robert Whittenburg, a philosophy and Spanish major and Rachel Elizabeth Wilson, a general studies major from Sherman.
• Rawls College of Business: Stephanie Margaret Greider, an accounting major from Flower Mound; Aubree Star Harris, a marketing and management major form Highland Village; Lia Marie Heers, an accounting major form Muenster; Kelly K. Lynch, an accounting major from Kerrville; Torgen Shane Martinson, an accounting major from Austin; Morgan Lee Pruitt, an accounting major from Midland; Jake A. Strickland, an accounting major from Snyder and Brooklyn Joy Witte, an accounting major from Burleson.
• College of Education: Eleanor Louise Ashley, a multidisciplinary studies major from Carlsbad; Joy R. Forbes, a multidisciplinary studies major from Lubbock; Sawsan Ali Hajmahmoud, a multidisciplinary studies major from Dallas; Katy Loeung, a multidisciplinary studies major from Grand Prairie; Linsay Rachel Macek, a multidisciplinary studies major from Kingsland; Tiffany D. Neal, a multidisciplinary studies major from Waxahachie and Rhonda Jean Rose, a multidisciplinary studies major from Burleson.
• Whitacre College of Engineering: Daniel Deryk Benham, a petroleum engineering major from Odessa; Joanna Marie Gatlin, an electrical engineering major from San Angelo; Ryan Andrew Glenn, a mechanical engineering major from Tatum, N.M.; George Liberty Mutual, a petroleum engineering major from Nairobi, Kenya; Jay Stephen Nunley, a chemical engineering major from Joshua; Cord Landon Scorgie, a mechanical engineering major from Lubbock and Nicholas Scott Sheridan, a mechanical engineering major.
• College of Human Sciences: Ivanka Krasimirova Boling, a family and consumer sciences major from Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria; Megan Renee Falconer, an early childhood major form Carrollton; Laura Anne Gray, a human development and family studies major from Southlake; Jamie Nicole Haarmeyer, a restaurant, hotel and institutional management major from Richardson; Cynthia Renee Sacco, a nutrition major from Fort Worth; Tiffany Rhiana Sallee, an early childhood major from Lubbock; Bre’anna Monique Wilson, a human development and family studies major from Glidden and Mackenzi Jo Wilson, a human development and family studies major from Abilene.
• Honors College: Erin Van Pelt, an honors arts and letters major from Las Cruces, N.M.
• College of Media & Communication: Alicia Rose Keene, a journalism major from Austin and Chelsea Poe, a public relations major from Fort Worth.
• College of Visual and Performing Arts: Kelsei Noel Fortenberry, a music performance major from Lubbock.
• University Studies: Ethan Gary Rowell, a university studies major from Waco.
• University Studies (Wind Energy): Scott Carey Noulis, a wind energy major from Fort Worth.