Spring 2018 Commencement The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Spring 2018 Commencement will take place Sunday, May 6, 2018 at the Von Braun Center in the Propst Arena. The ceremony will include students who have completed degree requirements in the Spring semester. Doctoral, Masters, and Bachelors degrees will be presented. Graduating students may begin checking in at the East Hall at 12:00PM. The Arena will open at 12:00PM for guests to find seats. The Commencement ceremony will begin at 2:00PM. VBC Rules and Regulations Spring 2018 Commencement Speaker - Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. became NASA’s acting administrator January 20, 2017. After a distinguished career, he has announced his retirement from NASA at the end of April, 2018. Lightfoot previously was director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Named to the position in August 2009, he headed one of NASA's largest field installations, which plays a critical role in NASA’s space operations, exploration and science missions. Lightfoot managed a broad range of propulsion, scientific and space transportation activities contributing to the nation's space program. From 2007 to 2009, Lightfoot was deputy director of the Marshall Center. He served as manager of the Space Shuttle Propulsion Office at Marshall from 2005 to 2007, where he was responsible for overseeing the manufacture, assembly and operation of the primary shuttle propulsion elements: the main engines, external tank, solid rocket boosters and reusable solid rocket motors. From 2003 to 2005, he served as assistant associate administrator for the Space Shuttle Program in the Office of Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington. His responsibilities included space shuttle Return to Flight activities following the Columbia tragedy, technical and budgetary oversight of the $3 billion annual budget and initial transition and retirement efforts for shuttle infrastructure. In 2002, Lightfoot was named director of the Propulsion Test Directorate at NASA's Stennis Space Center. He served as deputy director of the organization beginning in 2001, until his appointment as director. Lightfoot began his NASA career at the Marshall Center in 1989 as a test engineer and program manager for the space shuttle main engine technology test bed program and the Russian RD-180 engine testing program for the Atlas launch vehicle program. He received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1986 from the University of Alabama. In 2010, he was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. Information Apply to GraduateDiploma InformationCountdown to Cap and Gown Graduation ChecklistHonors and Honor SocietiesParticipants List (Spring 2018) Schedule of Events TimeEventLocation 12:00 p.m. Students check-in East Hall 12:00 p.m. Doors open for guests Propst Arena 2:00 p.m. Ceremony begins Propst Arena Note: If there is an event at the same time as Commencement, please arrive 15-20 minutes before doors open. Candidate Instructions Guests No tickets are required for guests. Please notify family and friends that the doors will open exactly one hour prior to the scheduled ceremony time. Guests, family members and spouses are not permitted in the assembly or robing areas and should go directly to the arena. The Von Braun Center is committed to creating a safe, comfortable and enjoyable experience for all guests. All patrons entering the Von Braun Center during an event are subject to screening, which varies from event-to-event. Screenings range from visual inspection and bag search to screenings by a magnetometer (metal detector) and/or pat-down search conducted by security personnel. The purpose of the inspection is to detect prohibited items. For more information about prohibited items, please visit the VBC website. Commencement Guide !-- --> Download Hyperlinked PDF Candidates Candidates will need to arrive at the Von Braun Center one and a half hours prior to the scheduled ceremony time. See the Von Braun Center Propst Arena Layout Map for student seating locations. Line-Up and Procession Students should report to their college line-up area in the Von Braun Center East Hall no later than one hour prior to the ceremony. You will receive a line-up card indicating your number in line and be instructed by University staff about when and where to line up. Your line-up card is the key to get you across the stage. Commencement in 2 minutes! Student perspective Participation in Commencement Fall Commencement - Students who have completed degree requirements in the Summer semester, as well as those who have applied for graduation and will complete all degree requirements for the Fall semester. Spring Commencement - Students who have applied for graduation and will complete all degree requirements for the Spring semester. Doctoral candidates must notify Graduates Studies in order to participate in the ceremony. What to Bring to Commencement Degree candidates should purchase their caps and gowns from the UAH Campus Bookstore prior to the ceremony and must bring them, along with their tassels, to Commencement. Students should not bring purses, cell phones, etc., into the Von Braun Center. Personal items may not be left in the assembly or robing areas during the ceremony. Please refer to Guest Searches in the Commencement Guide for more information on prohibited items. Academic Regalia Commencement is an occasion marking a special time in a student's academic career. Appropriate attire for the occasion is a black academic gown and mortarboard with no personal accessories or messages. Undergraduate student members of academic honor societies may wear the insignia or honor cord of that academic honor society. Flowers, personal jewelry, pins or cords from social fraternities and sororities are not to be worn on academic robes. All graduates participating in the ceremony must wear their academic regalia. Caps and Gowns Caps and gowns may be purchased at Countdown to Cap and Gown or in the UAH Campus Bookstore Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Doctoral candidates should pre-order your cap and gown at least one month prior to the ceremony. Tassel Colors Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences - White Business - Drab Education - Light Blue Engineering - Orange Nursing - Apricot Science - Gold Professional Studies - Black Doctoral - Old Gold Future Commencement Dates Fall 2018 Commencement: TBASpring 2019 Commencement: TBAFall 2019 Commencement: TBA