UMA Commencement Ceremony will celebrate graduates from the Class of 2022 on May 14

The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) will hold its 54th Commencement Ceremony celebrating the class of 2022 at the Augusta Civic Center at 10 a.m. on May 14, 2022. This year will be the first since 2019 in which UMA (and all institutions in the University of Maine System) will host an in-person commencement event. Universities held virtual and hybrid ceremonies during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 500 graduates in the Class of 2022 will be honored through a Commencement program that will also be live streamed at 10:00 a.m. on May 14, 2022. The link to view the live stream ceremony will be available at uma.edu/commencement.

The ceremony will incorporate UMA’s traditions of this milestone event, including a Commencement address and student speakers, as well as the presentation of awards and honorary degrees and, most importantly, the conferring of degrees to UMA’s graduates. The class of 2022 will also include graduates of UMA’s first graduate programs: the Master of Science in Cybersecurity and a graduate certificate in Substance Use Disorders.

After the initial broadcast, the 2022 Commencement will be posted on the UMA website. This will allow graduates to plan viewing events with family and friends at a date and time convenient to them.

Following are a few highlights of the speakers and honorees for this year’s Commencement Ceremony:

Commencement Address

Anthony James, Jr., Ph.D.

2021- 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant at UMA

Associate Professor of Family Science and Social Work

Miami University

Honorary Degree Recipient

Shawn Yardley

CEO, Community Concepts

Student Remarks

Cassidy Lessner, Corinth, ME

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Dexter Distinguished Student Award

Celena Zacchai, Camden, ME

Bachelor of Arts in Social Science

Distinguished Alumni Award

Lina Cloutier Michaud, ‘10

Bachelor of Science in Mental Health & Human Services

Emeriti

Kenneth Elliott, Ph.D.
Former Professor of Psychology

Frank Ellis, Ph.D.
Former Professor of Psychology and Human Services

Thomas Abbott, Ph.D.
Former Dean of Libraries and Distance Education

Additional information with links to view the commencement is available at uma.edu/commencement.