We’re pleased to announce that the School of Information 2024 Graduation Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 3:00 pm in Bass Concert Hall, located in the Texas Performing Arts Center. Please join us in honoring the achievements of our graduates and celebrating their accomplishments.

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School of Information Graduation Ceremony

Friday, May 10, 3:00 - 4:30 pm | Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr, Austin, TX 

Guest Speaker: Danielle Smith, technology researcher (bio below)

We cordially invite faculty, staff, and guests to come join us in celebrating our graduates! The iSchool ceremony will feature a distinguished speaker and recognize our graduates individually as they cross the stage.

The ceremony will be livestreamed for family, friends, and loved ones who are unable to attend in person. 

If you have any questions, please email events@ischool.utexas.edu.

Live Stream the iSchool's Graduation Ceremony 

Distinguished Speaker

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Danielle Smith

Danielle Smith is a technology leader with 20+ years of experience in technology research and user experience design strategy. She’s worked in a variety of industries spanning from spaceflight at NASA/Lockheed Martin, to enterprise systems and end user computing at Dell, the payments and credit industry at PayPal, and healthcare at Cigna. Her most recent professional experience was leading a multidisciplinary Experience Research team focused on pharmacy and other healthcare services. The team included user research and accessibility, survey science, digital experience analytics and data science. She has been an individual contributor, a consultant, and a leader of leaders.

Danielle is a native Houstonian and completed her PhD in Industrial / Organizational - Human Factors Psychology at Rice University in 2007. She worked with Kenneth Laughery as an advisor, researching safety decision-making and warning label design. Danielle is currently wrapping up the second year of a 2-year career break in central Mexico, enhancing her Spanish and exploring life with her spouse.

Event Details

Venue Details 

Doors will open to guests at 2:30 pm. Guest tickets are not required to attend this ceremony. 

Venue policies: 

• No outside food or drink, including water, may be brought into the venue* 
• All persons and bags are subject to search 
• The University of Texas at Austin is a tobacco-free campus 
• Other prohibited items include recording devices of any kind; tobacco products and e-cigarettes; weapons; banners, balloons, noisemakers; large backpacks or luggage; strollers (in seating areas); pets (other than leashed/harnessed service animals in identifiable vests); laptops or tablets; selfie sticks; hard containers, including glass and vases; cameras with detachable lenses or tripods. For a more comprehensive list of prohibited items, exceptions, and other up-to-date venue information, go here. 

* Exceptions will be made for those with disabilities, medical requirements and/or special needs. Patrons with specific or special needs due to disabilities or medical conditions should contact events@ischool.utexas.edu at least 48 hours prior to attending the event to arrange for reasonable accommodations. 

Parking

Parking garages and most parking lots on campus will be open and free to use on commencement weekend. More parking information, including drop-off points, will be provided closer to the ceremony. Please note that visitor traffic is significant during commencement days, and you should anticipate longer travel and parking times. 

Accessibility

Graduates should contact events@ischool.utexas.edu no later than 48 hours before the ceremony if they or one of their guests needs additional assistance beyond what is covered below, such as ASL interpretation. 

• Drop-Off: A drop-off point in front of Bass Concert Hall on Deloss Dodds Way (formerly 23rd Street), across from Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, is available for mobility impaired guests. 
• Disability Parking: A few disability/ADA parking spots near Bass Concert Hall will be available on the day of the event on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• Wheelchair Seating: Please visit Guest Services, just to the left of the Bass Concert Hall entrance, upon arrival. From there, Ushers and House Managers will escort guests to the wheelchair seating area. They can also assist mobility impaired guests seeking temporary wheelchair use to navigate the venue. 

FAQs

Why haven't I received my tickets from Marching Order?

Marching Order is being used for ticketing for the Graduate School’s optional ceremony on May 11, not the School of Information’s ceremony on May 10. If you plan to attend both ceremonies, please make sure that you have RSVP’d to both. 

What is the difference between the iSchool's ceremony and the Graduate School ceremony?

The iSchool’s ceremony will be on Friday, May 10 at 3 pm, and will honor all the graduates of the School of Information, including undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students. There will be a distinguished speaker, live music, and all students will cross the stage when their name is read to shake the dean’s hand. This is the primary event for iSchool students, so graduates will be able to celebrate with their fellow students and friends. 

The Graduate School’s master’s ceremony will on Saturday, May 11 at 8:30 am, and will honor the master’s graduates from across the university. There will be remarks by Dr. Sarah Ades, Dean of the Graduate School and Senior Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and all students will cross the stage when their name is read. While all graduation ceremonies are optional, the majority of iSchool graduates will attend the iSchool’s ceremony, and many will not participate in the Graduate School’s ceremony. 

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Information for Graduates

Academic regalia is strongly encouraged for graduates. Regalia can be purchased at the UT Co-Op.  

Check-in for graduates will begin at 2:00 pm at the Bass Concert Hall loading dock (see image) and will close at 2:30 pm. Graduates should arrive wearing their regalia and should not bring personal items such as purses or bags, as there is no area to secure them during the ceremony. We recommend that graduates carry cell phones and keys on a wristlet or in clothing with pockets.  

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Flash Photography will take a photo of you as you cross the stage, as well as an individual posed photo shortly thereafter. Flash will e-mail you proofs of your photos directly; if you choose to purchase photos, you will do so directly through Flash. 

More information and updates will be provided to graduates who have RSVP’d to the iSchool’s ceremony in late April.

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Additional Graduation Celebrations

We encourage all iSchool graduates to attend the University-wide Commencement Ceremony on May 11, 2024, at 7:30 pm in DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, to celebrate with the entire university. This ceremony is the culmination of commencement weekend and students are recognized as a group, rather than individually. The ceremony includes a distinguished speaker, the lighting of the Tower, and a concluding fireworks display. 

Graduating students will receive more information about attending this ceremony in late April. Guest tickets are not required to attend, but tickets will be required for graduating students to access their designated seating area.  

Other celebrations 

• The Graduate School hosts optional ceremonies for masters and doctoral graduates on Saturday, May 11. RSVPs and guest tickets are required.  

• The Texas Exes hosts the Great Texas Exit on Saturday, May 11, immediately before the UT-wide Commencement, as well as a variety of celebrations earlier in the week. 

• Other units and groups on campus will host ceremonies and receptions for various student populations earlier in the week as well. 

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