Summer 2024
Commencement
Saturday, August 10, 2024
10:00 a.m.
American Bank Center Arena
A Member of The Texas A&M University System
Summer 2024 Commencement
President Kelly M. Miller, presiding
Prelude and Processional*
Carrier of the Mace ......................................................................................................... Dr. Mohan Rao
Professor of Decision Sciences, College of Business
Welcome
President Kelly M. Miller
Presentation of the Colors .......... Flour Bluff High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps
National Anthem Liv Moya ’25 Junior, Music Major, School of Arts, Media, & Communication
Commencement Address .......................................................................................... Dr. Kesley Banks ’19 Associate Research Scientist, Harte Research Institute
Presentation of Degree Candidates ............................................................................ Dr. Cate Rudowsky Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
College of Business Dean Brian Tietje College of Education & Human Development ............................................ Interim Dean Don Melrose College of Engineering & Computer Science ................................................................ Dean David Ma College of Liberal Arts............................................................................................ Dean Kyoko Amano College of Nursing & Health Sciences ......................................................................
Dean Hassan Aziz College of Science Dean F. Eloy Hernández School of Arts, Media, & Communication Director Diana Sipes College of Graduate Studies .................................................................................
Conferring of Degrees
Announcing ................................................................................................
Dean Karen McCaleb
President Kelly M. Miller
Dr. Carmen Tejeda-Delgado Professor and Director of Transformative Alliance for Student Success College of Education & Human Development
Hooding of Doctoral Candidates ............................................................... Candidate’s Major Professor
College of Education & Human Development | Assisting: Interim Dean Don Melrose College of Science | Assisting: Dean F. Eloy Hernández
Commissioning ...............................................................................
Lieutenant Colonel Andrew J. Stevens
Professor of Military Science, College of Education & Human Development
Alumni Presentation
Recessional*
*Audience will remain seated.
Ms. Kimberly Cook ’94 President, TAMU-CC National Alumni Association
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
Dr. Kelly Janeen Billington Hill
Dissertation: The Relationship of Teacher Perceptions of Technology and Technology Implementation in Rural South Texas High Schools
Dr. Claudia Elena Bracamontes Gonzalez
Dissertation: Strengthening School-Community Partnerships to Align the United Nations Seventeen Sustainability Goals and Project-Based Learning: A Dissertation in Practice
Dr. Michelle Annette Fox
Dissertation: Haciendo la Diferencia: Pláticas con las Voluntarias con Corazones de Servir [Making a Difference: Conversations with Volunteers with Hearts to Serve] A School Leader’s Approach in the Engagement of Parent Volunteers
Dr. Luisa Daniela Ramirez
Dissertation: Vamos a Platicar: Fostering Cultural Understanding of Mexican American Parental Engagement in Schools
Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education
Dr. Sharon Rocio Mata
Dissertation: A Qualitative Inquiry of the Lived Experiences of Language Minority Hispanic Counselors-in-Training Who Experience Foreign Language Anxiety
Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum & Instruction
Dr. Jennifer J. Brown
Dissertation: Female Empowerment through Children’s Literature: A Content Analysis of the 2023 Rise Feminist Book Project List
Dr. Marilyn Bailey Keller Nicol
Dissertation: Integrating Skills of Emergent Literacy: An Interactive Writing Intervention for Prekindergarten
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Doctor of Philosophy in Coastal and Marine System Science
Dr. Alexander Robert Sharp
Dissertation: Movement Patterns of Wading Birds as a Mechanism Linking Freshwater Wetlands and Coastal Ecosystems in Florida
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Master of Accountancy
Kimberlee Louise Barrett
Jacob B. Birdwell
Tuesde Nicole Cavil
Amanda Delacerda
Kassidy Erin FitzSimon
Shanequa Z. Joseph
Mika Irungu Karanja
Elyssa Marie Korn-Flores
Ahemad Ababor
Ebenezer Abotsi
Joseph Abuo
Terri Ann Adam
Adesola Ayowale Adelekan
Holly Michelle Aguridakis
Nauman Uddin Ahmad
Teslimot Taiwo Akinlabi
Ayah L. Al Rubaye
Marwah Al-Badran
Isabella Faith Alarcon
Dorianna Alcalde
Nada Alobaidi
Maryanne Ambler
Ashley Nicole Arndt
Valeria A. Barbosa
Erik Michael Beilman
Christina A. Martinez
Jolynn Yvette Moreno
Mark Joseph Muenster
Julian Gage Nava
Amyn I. Noorani
Victoria R. Pena
Felipe D. Rodriguez
Emily Jane Caroline Schnitzer
Master of Business Administration
Leslie Bonilla
Brayden Ray Boone
Stephanie Isabel Borlund
Karim Botros
Maya Pearl Bourque
Sara Grace Brezina
Grace C. Brown
Jennifer Bui
Michael Stephan Cabral
Eimilly A. Cabrera Ortiz
Laura Calzada
Andrew Jonathan Carle
Cecilia Carlos
Kristalynn Dawn Casey
Kyle Etsuo Catino
Olivia Marie Centeno
Irvin Jose Centeno Cruz
Jami Dawn Tzib
Sandra Lorena Velasco
Gabriel Ruthe Whatley
Henry Deandre Williams
Puikwan Yuen
Anzu Andrew Chang
Jennifer Michelle Chavez
Destinee Rene Clark
Luna Clarke
Nicol Yvette Coleman
Patrick M. Colontonio
Tamara Cooper
Marcos Cortez
Thi Hoang Oanh Dang
Misha Dao
Kijan Davis
Emily C. Derouen
Izabel Hallie Desjardins
Geoffrey Dick
Bobbi Jo Donham
Allison Danielle Doolittle
Alexys M. Draves
Warren Patrick Dubell
Barry Lyndell Dubose
Brooke Ellen
Hailey Catherine Ellis
Deborah Elvir
Holden Alexander Ersch
Michelle Estrada
Michelle Colleen Evans
Lyyte Saadman-Sawmic Faridi
Melissa Fernandez Onate
Mitchel C. Fitzsimmons
Sean Fletcher
Syrina Alexces Garcia
Elizabeth Gorban Gargas
Zannie Ann Garvin
Isabella M. Garza
Michael Anthony Gaskins
Zachariah Gay
Jesse Gil II
Erin Ashur Glass
Samuel Gomez Jr.
Claudia Rocio Gonzalez
Juan J. Gonzalez
Krysta Jiselle Gonzalez
Lucero Gonzalez
Michell Graham
Ramona Granados
Shekkola Barnett Gray
Baylee Green
Zachary Aaron Greene
Megan Emily Greer
Xavier Ian Guerra
Tori Guerrero
Rachel N. Gupton
Sarah E. Guzman
Victoria A. Hartjoy
Pata-Lee Rochelle Harvey
Cullen James Hedin
Clayton Heiser
Nathaly Hernandez
Candy Laree Hershel
Lindsey Hunter
Arturo Ibarra III
Kathryn Elizabeth Jambor
Katherine Elizabeth Jerome
Kylie Nicole Johnson
Rachelle Johnson
Linda Louise Johnson Galvan
Max Edward Kehlmeier
Mark G. Kinkade
Ramah Venessa Kirk
Amit K. Lakha
Ashruti Lamichhane
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Master of Business Administration, continued
Colin D. Latimer
Zachary Steven Lawhorn
Alyssa Michele Leggio
Ethoia Viran Lewis
Ling Li
Jeannette Maria Lindemann
David Squier Lindsay II
Isabelle Kathryn Long
Eric Aaron Lopez
Nathan Elisha Lowe
Deanna Jeanette Luce
Hayden Mirl Lynch
Jessica Maalouf
Andrew Stephen Mancuso
Lorena Martinez
Megan Elizabeth Mathena
Darrell Joseph Matthews Jr.
Cole Nelson Mcaden
David Randall Mcclung
Shania Marie Mcclure
Jason Mcdermott
Kirsten Anne Mcendree
Eileen Mchugh
Cody Jared Mcmillan
Yadiel Melendez Quiles
Benjamin D. Menard
Reinaldo Luis Mendez Jr.
Pablo Mendoza Jr.
Heidi Lanelle Meuir
David Wesley Miller
Christopher Arlen Millican
Salem
MichelleMojadidiJacqueline Moody
Carlos Andres Mosquera
David Cole Myers
Tyler Mathew Noble
Amberly Dawn Nye
Merrilee Breann Odom
Lilibeth Olvera
Lilian Tobi Otubu
Noah Fazil Ozbilge
Simay
RebeccaPalaPanoulias
Patrick J. Panzarella
Chu Ran Park
Christine Parshall
Davina Patel
Rishi Bharatkumar Patel
Lisa Thuy Pham
Mariah Prestige Pineda
Kim Krittiya Pongsatianwong
Erika Tatiana Price
Alexander Adrian Ramos
Heather Elaine Reece
Maria Elena Reyes
Robert William Robles Jr.
Alexander Xavier Estarossa Romanov
Marina Rosas
Joseph C. Roth
Reagan Marie Ruffin
Jennifer Rumbaut-Espinosa
Brittney Nicole Russell
Shawn Robert Sadler
Mugdha Sanglikar
Mysti Dorothy West Schott
Noah Ericson Schultz
Kailey Schwartz
Ava SaboorShahparasti Shahzad
Mohammed Rafi Rehman Shaikh
Madalyn N. Smith
Luke Spencer
Riley Briana Sprowl
Elizabeth Nicole Stark
Katheryn Lea Starkey
Athen Dennis Steele
Karla Renee Swain
Zane Thomas Taylor
Srikant ElezabethTelikepalli Pramod Thomas
Jennifer Kennedy Thomas Jovon Thomas
Matthew Thrasher
Joshua Tracy
Bao Q. Trieu
Crystal Marie Uzomba
Amy Van Straten
Satish Chandra Varigonda
Veronica Velez
Ashlie Symons Vicente
Alejandra M. Villarreal
Kallan Lee Walters
Sydney Ellen White
Elizabeth Nicole Wiede
Nicole Anna Wilczynski
Jenna Renee Wilemon
Julian Andrew Wilmot
Leslie Raegine Wilson
Simon Kamwah Wong
Elizabeth May Wood
Andrew Wright
Jessica Congjun Yao
Stephanie Leigh Young
Deandra Zheng
Chunyan Zhu
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
Master of Science
Yuva Teja Chunduru
Venkata Peethambara Sai Abhijith Gentela Venkatasrisaisantosh Gurajada
Sai Koushik Katakam
Sudheer Katakam
Bala Krishna Kilaru
Ashutosh Mishra
Sai Suraj Nuthanakalva
Navya MohammedPalvaiAli Sheriff Shaik
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Master of Science
Valeria Iliana Alcorta
Caitlin Avery Calland
Holly Louise Daniel
Nohely Diaz
Akhila Donkani
Danielle Nicole Gonzales
Ketavion De’Ron Humber
Mary Katherine Keene
Elton Lam
Raj Lopez-Galang
Santiago Luis Luna
Taylor Leigh Mondragon
Michelle Oldroyd Moon
James Thomas Morales Jr.
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Master of Arts
Ramesah Qayyum
Asia Brianna Olson
Victoria Ashley Perez
Justin Saito Shelby
Abigail M. Simmonds
Heather Marie Turner
Montez Zenzora Uigaese
Margarita Angel Alvarez
Christian Michael Amos
Adewumi Andrew
Subarna Biswas
Yeying Chen
Franco A. Arbulu
Josue Barillas
Miranda Nicole Barnes
Destin Garrett Boubel
Meagan L. Brown*
Adriana Calzada
Luke James Campion
Ernesto Antonio Coleman
Christopher J. Cook•
Lance Coleman Covington
Sean Edward Curtis*
Tyler Thomas Davis*
Kelly Dolci De La Rosa
Yazmin Del Fierro*
Alexander Donald Dolcefino•
Caleb Lee Edmonds
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Master of Science
Isabelle Greyson Cummings
Christina Celeste Gonzalez
Wayne Alan Hodge
Alicia M. Jimenez
Robinson Hall Mcmillan
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Bachelor of Business Administration
Angel Manuel Espindola
Jeremy Zachariah Flores
Miranda Flores*
Tommi Alexa Garza
Hailey Nikole Hanson
Jacob Edward Janik
Jara Alexa Jennings*
Hannah Elise Jezierski
Alexis I. Jimenez
Caleb Westlee Johnson
Zachary Kohlschmidt
Elizabeth Lamas
Madissen R. Lawhon
Devin C. Lawler
Robert C. Lewis*
Ruby L. Linares
Skylar Meischelle Meehan
Aubany M. Moon
Michael J. Orgill
Laura E. Ramirez
Angelina Gladys Weigand
Ashley Nicole Lunsford
Dam Phuong Anh Luyen
Sarah Catherine Mendoza
Joseph Daniel Miller•
Joshua Miller
Ruby Ann Munguia
Sydney Danielle Munoz
Ana Alicia Rivera
Ava Therese Schragin
Savannah Grace Schroeder‡
Rick Chen Shi*
Dawson Keith Smith
Emma Rose Splawn•
Tevarrius Jacobe Stephens
Aaron B. Young
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
Bachelor of Science
Hector Neftaly Correa
William Marshall Jamison
Megan Riley Newman
Charmi D. Patel
Andrew A. Shafer
Wyatt Ray Shippey
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Mireia Aguado Tortella
Charli Renee Becker•
David A. Calk
Dannielle Jordan Carrillo
Madison Marie Cuellar
Holly Hayse Gaskamp
Mathew Dale Akin Sr.
Jourdyn Marie Albaugh•
Adrianna Elise Callejas
Emilia I. Cavazos‡
Brian Jacob Contreras
Anastasia Cosette Cruz
Honors Program Graduate
Briana De Leon
Blondine Delva
Alaina Marie Digann
Abigail Fay Fenner
Bailey Nicole Fernandez
April Renee Garcia
Enoch K. Antwi
Jose A.
CarolynAgosto
Ruth Armendarez
Dominique Mariah Barrientez
Rickey Lynn Black Jr.
Siera Martha Cardenas
Karyme Alexandra Carreno
Drucilla Diana Cielencki
Angelita P. De Los Santos
Bachelor of Science
Andrew Mychael Gomez
Roberto A. Gonzales IV•
Valeria Guillen
Hunter Allan Haas
Madison Camiel Hale
Gavyn Bjorn Steffek
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Bachelor of Arts
Desiree Alexa Gonzales
Juliette Armida Gonzalez
Kerisma A. Gonzalez
Katherine Greenberg
Cayman Grace Kester
Annissa Christine Kleich
Obaseyifumi Moyinoluwa Kuforiji
Erik Christopher Lozano
Katherine Medary
Trynity Catherine Montez
Skylar Alexandra Nugent
Felix E. Offor
Lily Ann Pena
Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences
Dora Alicia Benitez
Marcus Andrew Lopez‡
Angelica Mendoza•
Kobie Rea Walker*
Bachelor of Science
Stephanie Deane Diores
Camryn Ashley England
Natalie N. Gamez
Gloria A. Kostroun•
Abigail Nicole Land•
Hannah Savina Esperanza Marin
Sabrina Marlene Merino I
Keith Meyer
Bryan Matthew Ortiz
Antonio D. Tovar
Julianne Nicole Vasquez‡
Eli Olivia Woods
Jake William Ponton
Lia Sky Ramos
Micaela Angela Ramos
Kameron Nicole Rios
Justine Leigh Sablatura
Whitney Michelle Smith
Colby John Tate
Brendan C. Taylor
Maddox Paul Thornton
Roberta L. Vega
Arturo Villarreal Jr.
Malik Mustapha Williams•
Caitlin G. Plunkett
Cody Ross Sablatura
Kelly E. Santamaria
Tammy Lee Schanen
Aaron Alexis Sedas
Victoria Angelena Valverde
Alexa Rae Anzualda
Reyna Barajas*
Hunter Sang Hyun Chung
Marina Garza Chevas
Ashley Marie Dawe
Marcelina Erlinda Esquivel
Paris N. Acevedo•
Miranda V. Acosta*
Jason Alaniz Jr.
Mariah L. Alaniz
Alyssa Josette Alvarado
Ashley Amelia Arteaga
Maria Regina V. Baldovino
Ashley Nicole Blum•
Kaylee Lynn Bozeman
Avery AngelicaCarpenter*
Nicole Castellano
Rita Jo Castillo
Mildrett Celestina Castro
Kelcey Nicole Contreras
Tanya Tagle Coons
Katlyn Mae Correa
Sabrina M. De Los Santos
COLLEGE OF NURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES
Bachelor of Science
Dylan Eric Grunewald
Quiriono Manuel Guajardo
To-Ha H. Hoang
Victoria R. Johnson•
Leonardo Reonaldo Ledgister
Joslynn A. Lott
Bachelor
of
Science in Nursing
Maria Guadalupe Delgado
Victoria Grace Downey*
Samuel Levi Driscoll
Melissa Gallardo-Sierra
Rebekah George*
Deborah Gonzalez
Nadyne M. Hernandez
Natalie Nicole Hernandez
Ashley Marie Hight*
Sandra Esparza Infante
Mary Hannah Irion
Tiffany Rose Jansky•
Julienne Mar N. Jose
Kelvin K. Kimaiyo
Sharon Jerotich Kiprop
Ethan L. Longoria*
Juliane Marie Mabilangan*
Jonathan M. Bell
April Rose Bourg‡
Allison Micaela Cantu*
Cristian Andrew Cortez
Cora Louise Tevy Daniel
Anevay Lahoma Garcia
Cierrah Acadia Godin‡
Zachary Robert Alfaro
Teon D. Alfred
Austin Kenneth Anderson
Justis N. Barnett
Zachary R. Bell
Jenna C. Bodron*
Tanner P. Castilla
Kinley Cate•
Joseph Allen Cervenka•
Kyla C. Cooper•
Dorothy Nadine Dodson
Kiera Morlatt
Christiana Alana Sophie Ortegon
Andres Christian Trevino
Grace Renee Uhrhammer•
Jasmine Destiny Villarreal
Quetzaly Zenil•
Adelaida Mendez Martinez•
Mary Kathryn Miralrio-Norrell•
Tracy Ann Nevarez*
Benjamin Franklin Rentfrow
Dylan Cassidy Richey‡
Jaretzy Rodriguez
Imelda Saavedra
Cristian X. Salazar*
Sean Maxwell Specht
Kristi L. Sprout
Margaret J. Strange•
Emily C. Tamez
Alexis Vasquez
Emily Lizbeth Villalpando•
Amanda Mercedes Withrow
Reagan Reese Wright
SCHOOL OF ARTS, MEDIA, & COMMUNICATION
Bachelor of Arts
Gaddiel Jonathan Gonzalez
Madison Danielle Holder
Issac Wayne Huerta
Gracie Johnson
Walker Logan Libbe
Sean Patrick Manning*
Danielle Elizabeth Muniz
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Eduardo Iram Martinez
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Bachelor of Science
Camden Powell Garcia
Steven Gabriel Garcia Jr.
Emilia Magaly Gomez•
Jullian Amber Hill
Mohamad Ezzat Jifi*
Ashley Jean Kirby
Madalyn Grace Lilljedahl
Connor R. Macy Sr.•
Evelynn L. Merritt‡
Cameron Anthony Mireles
Hopie C. Mitchell•
Officer Commissioning
Second Lieutenant United States Army
Quirino Manuel Guajardo
Isabel Grace Ostos
Jason M. Persad
Jordan M. Reed
Abbigail Morgan Thompson•
Carolina Margaret Villanueva*
Alicia Sarai Morales
Mason Luke Pollaro
Nathaly Ramirez•
Martin Salinas III
Joshua Michael Shelton
Brianna L Soliz
Tristan Thomas Turner
Jessica Lynn Vaden
Marissa Julie Valle
Brendan Scott Villa
Arron James Yabut
The names on this program include all students who have applied for graduation. Conferral of the official degree is based upon completion and certification of all degree requirements.
Commencement Speaker
Dr. Kesley Banks ’19 is an Associate Research Scientist in the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Banks earned a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2019 and her research related to the movement patterns, habitat use, and population connectivity of sportfish has made her an invaluable asset to the Island University. She is a member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, the American Fisheries Society, the Association for Women Geoscientists, and the U.S. Advisory Committee for the International Committee for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. In 2023, Banks was appointed to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Her expertise has also catapulted her into the national spotlight, with numerous appearances on Discovery’s Shark Week programs.
Banks earned her Master of Science in Environmental Science (2015) from Troy University where, as the ALFA Research Fellow, she studied federally threatened freshwater mollusks and their sensitivity to various toxicants lacking U.S. EPA Water Quality Criteria. Banks received her Bachelor of Science in Biology (2012) at the University of Tennessee at Martin where she studied the evolutionary relationships within the millipede suborder Spirobolidea.
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents
Mr. William Mahomes, Chairman ............................................................................... Dallas
Mr. Robert L. Albritton, Vice Chairman Fort Worth
Mr. David C. Baggett ............................................................................................... Houston
Mr. John W. Bellinger San Antonio
Mr. James R. Brooks ........................................................................................... San Angelo
Mr. Jay Graham ........................................................................................................ Houston
Mr. Michael A. Hernandez III Forth Worth
Mr. Michael J. Plank ................................................................................................ Houston
Mr. Sam Torn Houston
Mr. Cage Sawyers ................................................................................................ Fort Worth
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Official Ring
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the Islander Alumni Association unveiled the official ring in 1999. The ring itself is a symbol of achievement, unity, and University spirit. Upperclassmen wear the ring with the school’s name facing their heart. Upon the granting of degrees at commencement, graduates turn the ring around, with the name facing outward. This symbolizes that the graduate is now ready to face new challenges outside the University.
The official ring is a visible, tangible manifestation of the long-lasting bond between Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi and its alumni, offering symbolic representation of one’s past, present, and future as an Islander. As always, it is alumni who carry the same pride in their University, and a seamless gold band holds together the many people who have shared a dream—to earn a college education.
University Mace
The Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Mace is the wooden staff that is carried by a mace bearer leading the academic processional for commencements, convocations, and special university ceremonies. Originally, the mace was a long-handled club used by knights during the Middle Ages to crush the armor of enemies. Later, ceremonial maces were carried by guards of French and English monarchs. Later still, the mace was carried or placed by a magistrate or dignitary to establish authority. In sessions of the British House of Commons, the mace is placed on the treasury table. In the U.S. House of Representatives, it is placed to the right of the speaker. Today, the University Mace is used to symbolize the authority of the University President and is a grand emblem of tradition at commencement ceremonies for colleges and universities.
Academic Regalia
Academic regalia (cap, gown, and hood) date to 12th-century Europe, where they were worn primarily for warmth by university students as well as laymen. As laymen gradually changed their garb to capes and breeches, institutions of learning prescribed the gown of black for scholars, with a hood draped down the back when not worn over the head and a mortarboard cap shaped like the mortarboard of the master workman.
In 1985 in the United States, the Intercollegiate Commission prepared a code, specifying the design and color of academic regalia for colleges and universities in the United States. Under this code, the bachelor’s gown has long pointed sleeves. The master’s gown has an oblong sleeve. The doctor’s gown has bell-shaped sleeves. Gowns are generally black; however, a number of schools have adopted special regalia for the doctor’s gown.
The velvet border of the hood may represent either the color of the degree or the color of the field of study. The current trend is for the color to represent the field of study rather than the name of the degree, but in earlier years dark blue was characteristic for a Ph.D. in any field. Hoods are lined with the official colors of the college or university from which the degree is received.
Caps are the traditional mortarboard except for the doctor’s degree, where a four-sided velvet tam is optional. Caps from schools with special color gowns or from foreign universities may be more distinctive. Cap tassels for the doctor’s degree are gold, while the tassels for the master’s and bachelor’s degrees are typically black. Holders of all these degrees wear the tassel on the left. The ritual of bachelor’s degree candidates shifting the tassel from right to left marks the conferring of one’s first university degree.
Hood Color Code
Arts, Letters, Humanities ..................................... White
Commerce, Accountancy, Business Drab
Dental ..................................................................... Lilac
Economics Copper
Education Light Blue
Engineering ........................................................ Orange
Fine Arts, Architecture Brown
Library Science ...................................................Lemon
Medicine Green
Music.......................................................................Pink
Nursing Apricot
Philosophy..................................................... Dark Blue
Physical Education Sage Green
Public Administration Peacock Blue
Public Health ............................................. Salmon Pink
Science Golden Yellow
Social Work .......................................................... Citron
Speech Silver Gray
Academic Honors
Students earning academic honors wear cords in recognition of academic excellence. The following honors are awarded at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi:
‡ Summa Cum Laude: the silver honor cord is awarded to graduates whose cumulative grade point average is 3.9 and above.
* Magna Cum Laude: the blue honor cord is awarded to graduates whose cumulative grade point average is 3.7 to 3.899.
• Cum Laude: the green honor cord is awarded to graduates whose cumulative grade point average is 3.5 to 3.699.
*The honors presented during the ceremony are calculated on the student’s institutional cumulative grade point average and institutional credit hours through the semester prior to filing for graduation. Official honors designation, which includes the calculation of the final semester’s grades and hours, will be indicated on the final transcript and diploma.
Honor Society Medallions and Cords
Students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi have the privilege of being asked to join honor societies. Membership is based on grade point average and special criteria for each organization such as major, community service, and service to a profession. Students belonging to these honor societies wear cords and medallions that represent their high achievements and the colors and symbols of the organization.
Music Provided by The Islander Faculty Brass Quintet
Dr. Mary Thornton - Trumpet | Mr. Ron Ledbetter - Trumpet | Mr. Karl Kemm - Horn
Dr. Rai Morales - Trombone | Dr. Dan T. Sipes - Tuba
Special thanks to the faculty, staff, Student Government Association, and Island Ambassadors who participated in today’s events.
