Events

Congratulations, class of 2024! We look forward to celebrating with you at our departmental commencement event in June.

EVENT DETAILS AND EXPECTATIONS:

The departmental event is a smaller, more personal ceremony for our graduates and their families. You will be able to celebrate your accomplishment with your fellow classmates and the English department’s faculty and staff.

Our departmental event includes:

• Addresses from the Department of English chair, featured faculty speaker, and featured alumni speaker.
• Announcement of Dept. of English creative writing awards, essay contest winners, and departmental honors designations.
• Individual recognition of graduates: your name will be called and you will cross the stage for a ceremonial photo with the chair. We ask that all graduates and their guests remain until the end of the ceremony to honor each student as their name is announced.
• Faculty receiving line: after all graduates have received individual recognition, our faculty will form a receiving line to congratulate you on your accomplishments. The end of the receiving line marks the end of our ceremony.

Our departmental ceremony typically lasts 1.5 – 2 hours. Please plan accordingly when making restaurant reservations, travel plans, etc.

Our departmental ceremony does not include College Honors or Latin Honors announcements.

ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM AND TICKET ORDERING:

Information will be available in May.

2024 Faculty Speaker: Dr. Stephen Dickey, Senior Lecturer, Department of English

A senior lecturer in the UCLA English Department, Stephen Dickey has received numerous teaching prizes, including the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1993.  He teaches various courses in Shakespeare, the English Renaissance, and the Beat Generation, as well as introductory courses in poetry and drama.

2024 Alumna Speaker: Stephanie Ellis-Smith, CEO and Founder, Phīla Engaged Giving

Stephanie is the CEO and founder of Phīla Engaged Giving, a philanthropic advisory firm founded in 2017 that works with donors who are ready to activate their assets for social change. As an advisor and social impact specialist, she works toward a world where philanthropy is a nurturing and equity-centered practice that connects wealth to the people and communities who need it most.

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Please note that this page pertains only to the Dept. of English commencement event. For more information about the College of Letters & Science commencement events, please visit the UCLA Commencement website.

Students with questions about College Commencement or academic eligibility to participate may direct their inquiries here: http://www.college.ucla.edu/commencement/help/contact/.

Past Departmental commencement speakers:

Matea Gold (2018)

Randall Park (2017)

Christopher Zyda (2013)