More than 2,600 Hokies will graduate on Friday during Virginia Tech’s fall commencement ceremony, which will be held virtually this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The university-wide ceremony begins at 6:15 p.m. and will be streamed from vt.edu/commencement. During the online broadcast, graduates will be honored, degrees will be conferred, and special guests and student leaders will also speak. There will also be opportunities for friends and family to participate and offer well wishes.
The event will honor approximately 2,694 students who completed their academic degrees during the summer and fall terms. Use #HokieGrad for all social media posts related to commencement.
Linsey Marr, the Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will speak at the ceremony. Other speakers offering the Class of 2020 well wishes include alumnus Homer Hickam, famed former NASA engineering and bestselling author; alumna Queen Claye, an Olympian, Pan American Games Champion, and championship record holder; Grant Bommer, president of the Class of 2021; and Nikki Giovanni, poet, University Distinguished Professor, and namesake of the Class of 2020 ring.
During the ceremony, 1,462 undergraduates will be recognized for earning bachelor’s degrees.
Of the graduates, 383 earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4 on a 4.0 scale.
Computer science is the most popular major, followed by business information technology and human development. The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences will feature the most undergraduates receiving degrees with a total of 321.
Additionally, Virginia Tech’s five other colleges will award the following bachelor’s degrees to summer and fall graduates:
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: 140; College of Architecture and Urban Studies: 79; Pamplin College of Business: 261; College of Engineering: 290; College of Natural Resources and Environment: 73; and the College of Science: 298.
Virginia Tech will recognize 1,223 summer and fall graduates who will receive an advanced, master’s or doctoral degree. Cortney Steele, a recent recipient of a doctorate in human nutrition, foods, and exercise from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will deliver opening remarks during the ceremony.
The graduate degree candidates include 706 master’s degrees, 20 education specialist degrees, 282 Ph.D.s and 12 doctors of education.
A total of 203 students will receive advanced graduate certificates.
