Hooding ceremony for 2020 and 2021 Doctoral Candidates, held on May 27th, 2021 in Delaware Stadium under the direction of UD President Dennis Assanis and Lou Rossi, Dean of the Graduate College and Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education.

The University of Delaware began four days of honoring academic achievement with the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony on Thursday, May 27, at Delaware Stadium.

Commencement weekend begins

Article by UDaily Staff Photos by Evan Krape and Kathy F. Atkinson May 27, 2021

Doctoral Hooding Ceremony at Delaware Stadium honors academic achievement

Four days of pomp and circumstance for the University of Delaware began on Thursday, May 27 as UD celebrated academic achievement and determination in the face of the 15-month coronavirus pandemic.

The Doctoral Hooding Ceremony for 2020 and 2021 doctoral graduates was held in Delaware Stadium Thursday afternoon. (Check back to UDaily for a full account of the event.)

Throughout the pandemic, which has killed more than 590,000 people in the United States, UD leadership has put health and safety first. The pandemic necessitated completely postponing Commencement events in 2020. With more people getting vaccinated everyday and health conditions improving, the University responded with Commencement events that are adapted to the circumstances and follow guidelines put forth by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State of Delaware.

The graduating class of 2021 will be honored in four ceremonies, with two on Friday, May 28 and two more on Saturday, May 29. All will be held at Delaware Stadium.

Friday, May 28, 9 a.m. — Graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences
Friday, May 28, 7 p.m. — Graduates of the colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Earth, Ocean and Environment; and Engineering
Saturday, May 29, 9 a.m. — Graduates of the colleges of Education and Human Development and Health Sciences
Saturday, May 29, 7 p.m. — Graduates of the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration

To close Commencement Weekend, the Class of 2020 will be honored in a ceremony beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 30, in Delaware Stadium.

A full wrapup of Commencement events is planned for UDaily next week.

All appropriate health and safety measures will be observed at the ceremonies. Everyone entering Delaware Stadium will be required to complete a COVID-19 health screening the day of the ceremony. The questionnaire is available at http://covidcheck.udel.edu/ or via a QR code that will be posted outside the stadium and that can be scanned with a smartphone. In addition, those in attendance will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing.

For more information about this year’s Commencement activities, visit the UD Commencement website, which includes a special Frequently Asked Questions section.