Spring Convocation 2021

The Honors College is committed to recognizing the Spring 2021 Honors College Graduates.  You have worked so hard to get to this point, and we want to applaud your achievements.

Keynote Speaker

Evelyn Figueroa, MD
Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, UIC College of Medicine
Director, UI Health Pilsen Food Pantry

Jocelyn Bravo

The Honors College is proud to feature additional messages from members of the 2021 graduating class – Nandini Sarup and Sarah Hassan.

Wasan Kumar, Class of 2021

The Honors College proudly awards the Donald and Leah Riddle Prize to one outstanding graduating senior regardless of major field.  The award is based on academic excellence and leadership. The winner receives a bronze medallion and a $1,000 cash prize. The Riddle Prize is made each year in recognition of the former UIC Chancellor Donald Riddle and his wife Leah and honors the Riddles’ contribution to the campus.

This year’s recipient is Wasan Kumar.  Wasan graduates summa cum laude with a major in Neuroscience and minors in Global Asian Studies and Public Policy.  He has served as the Undergraduate Student Government President for 2020-2021 academic year, where he has actively advocated for change on campus.  He is also an accomplished researcher; he has beek published for his research in cellular neuroscience and completed his Honors casptone on cadmium environmental exposure as a promotor of vascular inflammation and a risk factor for atherosclerosis with Dr. Andre Balla in the Department of Pathology.  He was honored as a 2020 Lincoln Academy Student Laureate, and was named as a finalist for the presitgious Rhodes Fellowship.  He was previously named as a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, a Newman Civic Fellow, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  Wasan will attend Stanford Medical School on a full schoalrship in the fall.

For more information about this inspiring graduate: https://today.uic.edu/inspiring-grads-wasan-kumar

Each year, Honors College students nominate outstanding Faculty to be honored in three categories:  Fellow of the Year, Capstone Supervisor of the Year, and Instructor of the Year. We congratulate the following faculty:

Fellow of the Year:  Dr. Darryl D. Pendleton, Associate Dean for Student and Diversity Affairs; Director, Urban Health Program; and Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry

Honors College Faculty Fellows are UIC faculty members who are individually assigned to provide personalized advising and mentoring to students from the sophomore year on.

Nominated by Nada Marei : “Dr. Pendleton truly provides awesome advice and ensures that all of my questions are fully answered. He is always there to motivate me, support
me, encourage me, and make me feel special by having such an awesome mentor!“

Capstone Supervisor of the Year:  Dr. Robert F Klie, Assistant Professor of Physics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

This recognition is given annually to one of the many faculty members who guide our students’ Senior Capstone projects.

Nominated by Lopa Bhatt : “One of my favorite things about [Dr. Klie} is that he’s always had an open-door policy so that I could ask him questions whenever – whether it dealt with research, classes, or dealing with stress. ….. He created an environment of positivity, curiosity and fun that I will miss dearly when I graduate.”

Instructor of the Year: Dr. Anna C. Roosevelt, Professor of Anthropology College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Course: HON 125 – Explaining Conflict in the Congo: From Indigenous Kingdoms to Decolonization and its Aftermath)

This recognition is given annually to a member of the faculty who teaches our first-year Honors Core courses as well as our Honors Seminars for upperclassmen.

Nominated by Temiloluwa Sodipe : “She shares so much history in the classroom, and it is phenomenal to witness the … professional that she is, as she gives us insights and advice that transcends
typical learning. I believe that a good teacher is someone who can deliver course content succinctly, but a great teacher is someone who can do that, as well as provide students with the skills and
experiences necessary to benefit them beyond the classroom, and Professor Roosevelt does just that, and goes beyond..”

For more details about these faculty, please visit our Faculty of the Year page.  We thank you, and all of our faculty, for your dedication and service to the students of the Honors College.

The Honors College Gold Stole is a visible symbol of your accomplishment as a graduate of the Honors College.  Students are invited to wear this with all other graduation regalia.

In order to receive your gold stole, you must submit a graduation declaration and be on track to complete the Honors College requirements.  TO RECEIVE YOUR GOLD STOLE: Please submit your GRADUATION DECLARATION.

Gold Stole Video

To highlight the significance of graduating from the Honors College, we have compiled a video featuring you receiving your gold stole.

Student regalia is not required for virtual graduation, but will be required for any in-person ceremonies to be scheduled at a later date.

Caps and gowns are be available for purchase from the UIC Bookstore website, uicbookstore.org. beginning on April 5.   Items ordered from the UIC Bookstore website will be available for in-store pick-up Mon-Fri. from 10 am to 4 pm, curbside pick-up Mon-Fri. from 10 am to 2 pm or orders can be shipped via UPS ground.  All in stock items will ship within 2 business days, and typically take 3 – 5 business days to arrive.

Below you will find the pricing for the caps and gowns.

Bachelor Regalia- $59.99
Bachelor Gown- $23.99
Bachelor Cap- $9.99
Bachelor Tassel- $7.99
Custom stole- $34.99

UIC will host an in-person graduation experience for students to have their moment in the spotlight!

While the Honors College will not be available to share this moment with you, these gatherings will allow you the experience of crossing the stage as your name is announced to be congratulated by UIC leadership and have a professional photograph taken.

We invite you to bring two guests to enjoy the experience live with you, and it will be webcast for other family and friends to enjoy.  Participants will be grouped into 15-minute time slots. Registration is required via the Marching Order platform.

These experiences will be held May 7 – 9 at the UIC Dorin Forum located at 725 West Roosevelt.  Registration is required.  The link to register will be sent on Friday, April 2.

The slides used for the Marching Order for your virtual ceremony will also be used at your in-person graduation experience.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED for all graduates and guests to gain access to the facility.  Graduates may temporarily remove their masks for a photo.

Registration will be open from April 2 – April 20.  The registration link will be sent to your UIC email address.

Please check the UIC Commencement website for additional details related to the Spring 2021 UIC Commencement ceremonies: www.commencement.uic.edu

Please contact Associate Dean Stacie McCloud at smccloud@uic.edu.