Max Gunzburger, a world-renowned computational scientist and mathematician, and Gene Deckerhoff, the “Voice of the Seminoles,” will address the graduates during Florida State University’s fall commencement ceremonies this week.
FSU President John Thrasher will preside over both ceremonies, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, and 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St. Webcasts of the commencement ceremonies can be viewed here.
About 2,646 students will graduate this fall. Of that number, 2,066 will receive bachelor’s degrees, 455 will receive master’s degrees and 104 will receive doctorates. About 1,750 are expected to participate in the ceremonies.
•Gunzburger, Florida State’s 2015-2016 Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor, is the chair of the university’s Department of Scientific Computing and the Francis Eppes Professor of Scientific Computing. As the featured speaker at the Friday ceremony, he will address the graduates of the colleges of Arts and Sciences; Communication and Information; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Fine Arts; Law; Medicine; Motion Picture Arts; and Social Sciences and Public Policy.
Gunzburger has developed and analyzed novel algorithms that he and others have applied to a variety of scientific and engineering areas, including aerodynamics, superconductivity, climate, image processing and quantification of uncertainty and risk.
•Deckerhoff, a prolific sports broadcaster who also is the “Voice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” will be the featured speaker during Saturday’s ceremony, addressing the graduates of the colleges of Applied Studies; Business; Education; Engineering; Human Sciences; Music; Nursing; and Social Work; and The Graduate School.
Deckerhoff’s distinguished career in broadcasting includes 18 “Best Radio Play-by-Play” awards from the Florida Sportscasters Association and 14 “Florida Sportscaster of the Year” awards from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He received the Chris Schenkel Award from the National Football Foundation in 2013 and was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He began broadcasting for the Seminoles in 1979 and for the Bucs in 1989.
In addition to the commencement ceremonies, other graduation activities include the following:
•The College of Social Work will host a reception for graduating students and their families from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, in Miller Hall, C3300 University Center. Social Work Dean Jim Clark will preside. Capt. Paula M. Clark of the Air Force and student Sarah Goldman will address the graduates: 24 receiving the Bachelor of Social Work degree and 42 receiving the Master of Social Work degree.
•The Army ROTC program will commission two cadets as second lieutenants at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, in Harpe-Johnson Hall, 2nd floor, 103 Varsity Way. Army Lt. Col. Clinton D. Alexander, the Seminole Battalion’s commander, will preside.