Fall Commencement 2019

More than 900 new graduates participated in Ohio University’s 2019 Fall Commencement ceremony on Dec. 14, at the Convocation Center on the Athens Campus.

The annual fall ceremony, now held for the fifth consecutive year, included students earning doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees from all OHIO campuses and programs.

President M. Duane Nellis told the fall graduates that they should feel proud of themselves because they all worked very hard to graduate.

“I want you to feel confident that the education you received here will serve you well and prepare you for the road that lies ahead,” he said. “Employers will be looking for critical thinkers, good communicators and collaborators, problem solvers and leaders, and you acquired these skills at Ohio University. They are transferable to whatever job you hold, and they will never fail you.”

Dr. Chaden Djalali, executive vice president and provost, told the faculty that the example they have set for the graduates will influence the students throughout their careers, as they build productive and respectful working relationships of their own.

“Your contributions have created a unique and powerful learning experience for the graduates we celebrate today,” he said. “I want to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to teaching, research and service. Your work is the very heart of the mission of Ohio University.”

Dr. Steven Evans, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, delivered the Fall Commencement address. He told the audience that phrases and values often guide our choices in life and can be quite powerful. He said that after considerable thought, he came up with a phrase of his own that he and his wife have shared with his three children, “Be a good friend and hard worker.”

“There is a basic and simple elegance to it,” Dr. Evans said. “Hard work over time is the way to succeed with many things in life – from relationships to careers – and all of you waiting to graduate today have shown that you can be a hard worker.”

Dr. Evans said that being a good friend is also relevant because it impacts how you treat your friends and family during the transition away from being a college student.

“After graduating, many students become so focused on their new situation, new job, new city, and new friends; that they don’t adequately attend to their family relationships. I encourage you to attend to each other and be patient with each other as you go through this transition,” Dr. Evans said.

He assured the graduates that being a good friend and hard worker are things that they can strive to achieve.

“When that is combined with finding your passions and talents, you have a key to happiness,” Dr. Evans concluded.

OHIO’s 2020 Spring Commencement ceremonies will take place on Friday, May 1, (graduate degrees) and Saturday, May 2, (undergraduate degrees). For more information, visit www.ohio.edu/student-affairs/commencement/2020-spring-commencement