All College of Engineering graduates and candidates for the Winter, Spring or Summer Term of 2011 may participate in the College of Engineering's Spring Commencement Exercises.

The College of Engineering Commencement Exercises will be held in Hill Auditorium with simulcasts to Rackham Auditorium and the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater beginning at 8:00 p.m. and concluding at approximately 10:00 p.m. on April 30, 2011. The ceremony includes remarks by the dean in addition to student speakers and a special keynote speaker. Alumni class representatives from past years will also be on hand to congratulate graduates.

This year's keynote speaker is Cynthia B. Padnos (AB LSA ’77). Padnos is the founder and managing director of Illuminate Ventures, an early-stage, high-tech venture capital firm located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Illuminate is cutting edge in style and strategy, making investments in start-ups leveraging new technologies and business models, with a particular focus in the fast-growing category of cloud computing.  

Graduates should already be pre-registered for the ceremony, and tickets WILL BE needed for graduates and their guests this year for Hill Auditorium, Rackham Auditorium and Mendelssohn Theater. REGISTRATION TOOK PLACE BETWEEN MARCH 1 AND MARCH 30. TICKET DISTRIBUTION TOOK PLACE ON APRIL 12-13 BETWEEN 9 AM AND 4 PM IN THE DUDERSTADT CONNECTOR.  

The ceremony will be simulcast to the web at: http://www.engin.umich.edu/grad11  

During the ceremony, all graduates in attendance are recognized individually, cross the stage to shake hands with the platform party and receive a special memento. Graduates crossing the stage are identified by name; this is handled through completion of a "name reader card" which will be distributed along with the graduate tickets and "photo id card" and must be brought with the graduate along with their ticket to Hill Auditorium.  Graduates retain their "name reader cards" and "photo id cards" until they walk on to the stage for recognition. Graduates should be prepared to include a phonetic pronunciation on their card.

For more information contact Laura Rowe at arendsen@umich.edu or 734-647-7049.