With more than 1,700 degrees and certificates awarded during the Winter Commencement Ceremonies at Lawlor Events Center, the University moved a step closer to closing its 150th anniversary year on Saturday.
President Brian Sandoval reminded those in attendance for the two ceremonies – one held in the morning, and one in the afternoon – that in the grand scheme of a 150-year university history spanning from 1874 until today, Winter Commencement is a rather recent phenomenon.
Recent, yet telling in terms of how much the 推荐杏吧原创 has grown.
“For those keeping track, the University of Nevada held its first Winter Commencement on Dec. 5, 1992 … right here in Lawlor Events Center,” Sandoval said. “We had about 200 graduates make history that morning.
“Since then, a lot has changed. Our two ceremonies today will see more than 1,700 graduates – 1,767 to be precise.
“Today is a celebration of the journey the Class of 2024 has followed in reaching this incredible moment. We couldn’t be more proud of all of you.”
In all, the University’s two Commencement ceremonies saw 1,170 bachelor’s degrees and 597 advanced degrees (master’s and doctoral degrees) awarded.
Among those honored was College of Business graduates Mason Moschetti, a 20202 graduate of Reno’s Galena High School who was awarded the University’s Herz Gold Medal as the top graduating senior. First awarded in 1910, the Herz Gold Medal is awarded each year to the graduating senior with the highest University grade point average with the most letter-graded credits.
The ceremonies also included recognition of the recent passings of Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Regent Lois Tarkanian and Reynolds School of Journalism Professor Todd Felts.
Tarkanian’s career in education in Nevada spanned more than 50 years after she first moved to the state with her husband, the legendary UNLV men’s basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian.
Felts, a faculty member in RSJ since 2008, was remembered for his unfailingly positive personality, his love of his colleagues and students in RSJ and his significant work in bringing the University and the community closer together.
NSHE Board of Regents Chair Amy Carvalho was among the featured speakers, and during her remarks stressed to the Class of 2024 the value of relationship and community building.
“Whenever the world is in flux,” she said, “and there are times when it can certainly feels that way, I believe we can find stability when we seek out the things that give our lives a firm grounding, and that hold our communities together.”
Carvalho talked of “principles of peace” that include a free flow of information, good relations with one’s neighbors, high levels of human capital, acceptance of the rights of others and an equitable distribution of resources, among others, that can make for a meaningful and impactful life.
“I believe the training you’ve received, the knowledge that has been shared, and the experiences you’ve had at the University, have instilled this same kind of thought and call to action in all of you,” she said.
Sandoval, too, stressed how well-prepared the members of the Class of 2024 are, based on their experiences as students at the University, to make a profound difference in the world.
“You are a graduating class that has seen unprecedented change in our nation, throughout the communities of Nevada, and at our University,” he said. “I have always believed that universities teach us a great deal about who we are, what we believe and how we view the future.
“Our University, in particular, has always been Nevada’s best idea. … You can now define who you are, what you are capable of accomplishing – which is pretty much anything you hope to do – thanks to the education you’ve received from the University of Nevada.”
Sandoval said it was hard not to think about the enormity of Saturday’s moment, which was a highly personal and exciting one for all of the graduates, while also taking a step back and contemplating the University’s 150-year history.
Since January of 2024, the University had found numerous ways to celebrate its sesquicentennial, most notably with a campus-wide gathering in front of the Knowledge Center on the University’s birthday, Oct. 12, to officially commemorate the first 150 years of Nevada’s first institution of higher learning.
Saturday’s ceremonies felt, Sandoval said, like the perfect cap to a year that celebrated history and also beckoned the campus to look ahead to what the future will still bring.
“Later this month,” he said, “we will turn the calendar for the final time on our 150th anniversary year. And I find it inspiring and altogether fitting that right here, at this moment, we are celebrating with all of you, the last of our graduating classes for our sesquicentennial year.
“This is a moment for the ages … a moment none of us will ever forget.”
