HSC hosts spring commencement ceremonies

(COLLEGE STATION, TX) — The Texas A&M Health Science Center will host commencement ceremonies for the College of Nursing on Friday, May 21, the College of Medicine and School of Rural Public Health on Saturday, May 22 and the Baylor College of Dentistry on Thursday, May 27. The inaugural commencement for the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy in Kingsville occurred Saturday (May 15).

The HSC-College of Nursing commencement is 2 p.m. at the Leonore and Walter Annenberg Presidential Conference Center in the George Bush Library Complex at Texas A&M University in College Station. The speaker is Katherine I. Miller, Ph.D., professor of communication at Texas A&M. The initial 21 students in the generic program will receive their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree, as the first nursing students in the accelerated program received degrees in December 2009.

State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-District 21, will deliver the commencement address for the HSC-School of Rural Public Health in exercises at 9 a.m. at Rudder Auditorium on the Texas A&M campus. Eighty-two students will be honored – 58 Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), 18 Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) and three Master of Science in Public Health (M.S.P.H.). Three Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees will be awarded, as well as 13 students from the Austin group who are working professionals primarily from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission or Texas Department of State Health Services.

The HSC-College of Medicine and HSC-Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences commencement is at 2 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. The speaker is Story Musgrave, M.D., retired astronaut and physician. Seventy-two students will receive their Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree, and two will receive a dual M.D./Ph.D. in the HSC-College of Medicine, with five students in the HSC-Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences earning a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences.

HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry graduates will receive degrees at 7 p.m. on May 27 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. The keynote speaker is Kelton T. Stewart, D.D.S., Class of ’06 and assistant professor of orthodontics and oral facial genetics at the Indiana University School of Dentistry. Ninety-one Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) candidates will participate, 30 dental hygiene students will receive Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees, and 23 graduate students in various specialty certificate programs will be recognized. One Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and 15 Master of Science (M.S.) degrees will be awarded.

Admission to all commencement ceremonies is free and does not require a ticket.