Graduation Photos May 2016

The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience held its Spring 2016 graduation ceremony on Friday, May 6, 2016, in the Coors Events Center.

A few graduates are running late for the ceremony, literally
The calm before the storm
Emcee Professor Tina Pittman Wagers gives the crowd a few pre-ceremony instructions
There is movement in the bowels of the Events Center as the students prepare to process
The faculty begin the processional
The students follow
And follow...
First mortarboard message: "Is this graduation? No, this is Patrick." (Spongebob Squarepants reference--thank you, interweb)
"And so the adventure begins..."
"Keep talking, I'm diagnosing you!"
"Teach the change you wish to see"
"I still can't read cursive"
The PhDs-to-be are having a good time (front row, left--in the funny hats)
Professor Pittman Wagers welcomes the graduates
The family and friends of the graduates are acknowledged for their support, financial, emotional, and otherwise
The graduates are congratulated for their hard work
Professor and Chair Theresa Hernández addresses the graduates
The first student speaker, McKinzey Ridenour, addresses her classmates in a moving speech
The second speaker, Aram Yu, addresses her classmates in an equally moving oration
Aram's parents (third row from bottom) are acknowledged by her and the crowd
The speakers give each other a well-deserved hug
Mortarboard interlude: In loving memory of Xavier Eli David Maya, RIP 03-14-15 - 03-14-15, He inspires me to not count the days, but to make the days count
College Professor of Distinction Richard Olson, Director of the Honors Program, acknowledges each of the Latin Honors graduates individually (20 of them!)
Associate Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies Professor Irene Blair hands out the departmental undergraduate awards
Evidently those wedges aren't as comfortable as they look
Professor Blair acknowledges those graduates inducted into Phi Beta Kappa
Professor Erik Wilcutt hoods (PhD recipient) his student Sarah Wu
Professor Akira Miyake hoods his student Dan Gustavson
Professor Randy O'Reilly hoods his student Nick Ketz
Professor and Director of ICS Marie Banich hoods her student Alejandro De La Vega
Professor Banich hoods another of her students, Andrew Reineberg
Associate Chair and Director of Graduate Studies Professor Tiffany Ito hands out the departmental graduate student awards (a subset of the recipients pictured, from L to R, Hollis Karoly, Jessica Keating, and Emily Carol)
Professor Josh Correll pays heartfelt tribute to his deceased graduate student, Sean Hudson, who was honored with a posthumous PhD. Pictured from L to R are Sean's family members, father Tim, brother Arron, Mother Beverly
Chair Hernández congratulates one of the first of hundreds of graduates to come
Mortarboard message time in earnest: "Ready for my next adventure"
Mom snaps a quick one
Every year it seems there is one person is in red. I don't know the significance, unless the graduation gown store simply ran out of black
"Master has given Dobby a diploma, Dobby is free" (Harry Potter reference, for those of you living in a cave from 1997 to 2007)
The usual cellphone camera mayhem in front of the stage
"Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations"
Winner of this year's "most flowers on the mortarboard contest"
"I'm Psyched." Cute.
"I still have no idea what I'm doing"
"Oh the places you'll go!" (Dr. Seuss) and "CU later"
Short and sweet: "Thank you mom and dad"
More cellphone camera mania
But I wanna go THIS way
"It takes a big heart to teach little minds"
Selfie time!
"And though she be but little, she is fierce"
"Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world." Indeed.
Flip those tassels, you are graduated!
"Proud to be class of 2016 - Samin"
Dad concentrates on his picture-taking
Another proud father
Professor Mark Whisman, Sarah Wu, PhD, Professor Emily Richardson
Good night and good luck!