Nearly 4,800 University of Iowa students will receive their degrees during spring 2012 commencement ceremonies. The events start with College of Pharmacy commencement on May 10 and run through the College of Dentistry ceremony June 8.

This year, the UI also presents honorary degrees to three Iowans, welcomes back a Hawkeye basketball player-turned-coaching-legend, and hosts a slate of commencement-related events for graduates and their families.

Thursday, May 10

College of Pharmacy, 10 a.m., Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville: UI President Sally Mason will confer approximately 111 Doctor of Pharmacy degrees.

Friday, May 11

School of Management, Tippie College of Business, 10 a.m., Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville: UI President Sally Mason will confer about 171 Master of Business Administration degrees.

College of Law, 1 p.m., Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge: UI President Sally Mason will confer about 170 Juris Doctor degrees and six Master of Laws degrees.

College of Medicine, 6:30 p.m., Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville: UI President Sally Mason will confer approximately 138 M.D. degrees and 58 other degrees.

Saturday, May 12

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 9 a.m., Carver Hawkeye Arena: UI President Sally Mason will confer about 2,145 bachelor’s degrees, including 112 to students who are receiving undergraduate certification in teacher education from the UI College of Education.

College of Engineering, 10 a.m., Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville: UI Provost Barry Butler will confer approximately 197 Bachelor of Science in Engineering degrees.

College of Nursing, 10 a.m., Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge: UI Vice President for Research and Economic Development Jordan Cohen will confer approximately 120 Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees.

Graduate College, 3 p.m., Carver Hawkeye Arena: UI President Sally Mason will confer about 769 master’s degrees, 179 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, one Educational Specialist degree, and 23 other doctorates.

Sunday, May 13

Tippie College of Business, 1 p.m., Carver Hawkeye Arena: UI President Sally Mason will confer about 616 Bachelor of Business Administration degrees.

Friday, June 8

College of Dentistry, 3 p.m., Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville: The college will confer about 73 Doctor of Dental Science degrees.

Get more information about commencement ceremonies from the Office of the Registrar.

Broadcast and web

UITV will videotape all commencement ceremonies for broadcast at later dates. DVDs of spring commencements—and past ceremonies—also will be available for purchase. See the UITV website for more information about airtimes and DVD purchases.

Video of commencement ceremonies also will be posted on the university’s central YouTube channel.

Honorary degrees

The UI awards three honorary degrees this spring, recognizing former Iowa governor Robert Ray, former Iowa Board of Regents president Stanley Redeker, and pharmacy leader Robert Osterhaus.

Ray will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree at College of Law commencement on May 11. He served as Iowa governor from 1969 to 1983 and is known for his work on character education, fairness in the court system, civil rights, and aid to refugees. He’s also served as interim president of Drake University and interim mayor of Des Moines, where he lives today.

Redeker will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the Graduate College ceremony, May 12. A community leader in Boone, Iowa, he was appointed to the Iowa Board of Regents in 1961 and served as board president from 1965 to 1973.

Osterhaus will receive an Honorary Doctor of Science degree at College of Pharmacy commencement on May 10. He’s a longtime advocate for pharmaceutical care, pharmacy education, and the pharmacy profession, mentoring countless students and practitioners from his Osterhaus-Snyder Pharmacy in Maquoketa, Iowa.

Hawkeye homecoming

Former Hawkeye All-American basketball player and NBA coaching legend Don Nelson will return to receive his bachelor’s degree in physical education 50 years after leaving campus.

Nelson is the NBA’s all-time wins leader and will soon be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, but he left Iowa in 1962 just 10 credits short of getting his degree. He went on to win five NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics.

Through the years, Nelson fulfilled course credits by taking correspondence courses—the UI determined that his 35 years of coaching fulfilled the student teaching requirement for graduation. He’ll receive his degree at the May 12 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences commencement.

Related events

Other events also pay tribute to this year’s graduating students (most are by invitation—contact sponsors for more info):

• The REACH program honors its 2012 class at a May 4 convocation. Invited guests can RSVP online.
• The Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, the Chief Diversity Office, and the LGBT Staff and Faculty Association host the Rainbow Graduation celebration May 8.
• The Center for Diversity & Enrichment and the Office of Graduate Ethnic Inclusion will host a Graduation and Recognition Banquet May 10. Invited students, family, and friends can RSVP online.
• The College of Education hosts a Teacher Education Convocation for invited guests May 11, recognizing students who completed teacher education certification along with their degrees.