Students, Alumnus Return for Honors Earned in 2020

Pandemic-Delayed Commencement and Medal Presentation

  • by Dateline Staff
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Confetti rains down.
We’ve been saving this confetti since last year. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)

Nearly 1,600 members of the Class of 2020 returned to campus last Friday (Dec. 10) for their pandemic-delayed in-person commencement.

Alumnus Bruce West was there, too, to receive the UC Davis Medal he would have been given last year, were it not for the pandemic. West, who holds two degrees in civil engineering — Bachelor of Science (1971) and Master of Science (1973) — has been fostering excellence at his alma mater for decades. He’s been a member of the engineering dean’s executive committee since its inception in 2002, and also serves on the Athletics Board.

Read more about West in our 2020 news releases about his selection as a medal recipient.

Alumnus wearing medal, acknowledges audience.
Bruce West ’71, M.S., ’73, acknowledges the audience after receiving the UC Davis Medal from Chancellor Gary S. May, during makeup commencement for the Class of 2020.

The Class of 2020

So many students from the Class of 2020 wanted to come back, that we split the commencement into two ceremonies at the University Credit Union Center.

Graduate Studies and the Graduate School of Management also held makeup commencements, Graduate Studies on Thursday (Dec. 9) and the GSM on Sunday (Dec. 12).

UC Davis’ regular Fall Commencement took place Saturday (Dec. 11), for about 975 graduates.

Students in commencement regalia gather for processional.
Graduates before the processional.
Man hiolding mace leads the processional.
Professor Richard Tucker, chair of the Academic Senate, leads the processional as marshal, carrying UC Davis’ brand-new, student-designed mace. Read about the creation of the mace.
Chancellor May at podium for commencement
Chancellor Gary S. May addresses the graduates and their guests.
Graduate dances on stage.
Christopher Pribilo does a diploma dance. See him on video.
Provost pumps fist in "Go Ags!" cheer.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan leads “Go Ags” cheer.

 
Student poses for photo before "Grow Forth" backdrop.
Graduate poses before “Grow Forth” backdrop, a riff on UC Davis’ new brand: “Outgrow the Expected.”
Strawberry field (and strawberries) on grad cap
And, after graduation, here’s wishing for “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
Photos by Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis

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Dateline Staff: Dave Jones, editor, 530-752-6556, dateline@ucdavis.edu; Cody Kitaura, News and Media Relations specialist, 530-752-1932, kitaura@ucdavis.edu.

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