Utah State's Fall Commencement was Dec. 16

Approximately 2,000 Utah State University students completed requirements to graduate during the university’s Fall Commencement exercise Saturday, Dec. 16, in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The 116th commencement featured a joint ceremony for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Highly honored Utah State Professor Janet Anderson delivered the commencement address, and President Albrecht moderated the ceremony, which once again featured a student commencement speaker. Students assembled in the Nelson Recreation Center at 9:30 a.m. for the traditional march to the Spectrum for the main activities.

 

Included among the graduating class of seniors were approximately 370 master’s students and 27 Ph.D. students.

 

This year’s student commencement speaker was Colby Brungard, valedictorian from the College of Natural Resources, who delivered remarks to the graduating class. Brungard was selected by a committee of other valedictorians from among the pool of valedictorians from each of the colleges.

 

The procession from the Fieldhouse to the Spectrum began at 10 a.m., and the commencement ceremony began at 10:30 a.m.

 

The university sponsored a “University Celebration” for graduates and guests immediately following the ceremony in the Taggart Student Center. The various colleges congregated in the Stevenson Ballroom on the second floor of the student center, where graduates had the chance to introduce their families and friends to their professors and colleagues.

 

This year’s commencement speaker, Clinical Professor Janet Anderson, is a well-loved and highly honored professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences in the College of Agriculture.

 

“Janet is admired by students and faculty alike from all across campus,” said Sydney Peterson, chair of the university commencement committee. “Her students consistently rank her among their favorites, and that shows in her numerous teaching awards. She is deeply passionate about her role as a mentor to students, and she knows all too well what they’ve been through. She knows their pains, and now she will help them know the triumphs of all this work.”

 

During her 16 years at Utah State University, Anderson has taught a variety of courses covering basic nutrition, lifecycle nutrition, quantity foods production and food service management.

 

She recently received the 2006 Excellence in Teaching Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This extremely prestigious national award recognizes faculty who stand out among their peers, bring distinction to their school and credit to their profession.

 

She is a proven master teacher who employs a wide variety of pedagogy to maximize students’ learning. She is especially known for making use of examples to teach concepts, for developing hands-on learning exercises and for integrating service learning projects into the curriculum.

 

Anderson is nationally recognized for her teaching modules on food safety targeted to the general public, especially school-age children. Her consumer food safety studies have made significant contributions to knowledge in the field and have been published in the leading journals. These same studies have stimulated learning around the world as evidence by her numerous interviews on local, national and international radio and TV, and articles in the popular press.

 

For more information about commencement, check the Commencement Web site.