Yale University Commencement 2012

Yale celebrated its 311th graduation on May 21, following a weekend of speeches, prize presentations, senior class antics and the awarding of honorary degrees, among other activities.

Here you will find links to the YaleNews’ coverage of the Baccalaureate Address, Senior Class Day ceremony and University Commencement — as well as to videos, stories, and photos about the event.

Stories and information

Photos

Scenes from Class Day 2012

Gallery

Scenes from Class Day 2012

1 / 13

ABC News correspondent Barbara Walters and Yale College Dean Mary Miller march onto Old Campus flanked by seniors Benjamin Schenkel and Kevin Adkisson.
2 / 13

The campus was packed with the nearly 1,250 soon-to-be-graduates, their families and friends, and Yale faculty and administrators.
3 / 13

Wearing wacky headgear is a long-held Class Day tradition.
4 / 13

Even faculty and administrators — in this case, Susan Cahan, associate dean for the arts — take part in the fun tradition
5 / 13

Walters saluted the seniors, saying: “My hat’s off to you!”
6 / 13

Another traditional sight at Class Day: Smiles.
7 / 13

It’s a tradition that President Richard C. Levin (foreground) also enjoyed.
8 / 13

Among this year’s prize winners was former Yale football star Brett Smith, who was nearly killed in a 2003 automobile accident. Here, Athletics Director Tom Beckett presents Smith with the Amanda Walton Award and an all-varsity sweater.
9 / 13

At one point in the ceremony, Dean Mary Miller asked students to rehearse the roar they should give when awarded their degrees at the Commencement ceremony the next day.
10 / 13

Courtney Fukuda and Joseph Mensah announced that the Class of 2012 had achieved a record-breaking 97% participation rate in donations for the Senior Class Gift.
11 / 13

The ceremony ended, as is traditional, with the waving of white handkerchiefs …
12 / 13

… And the singing of the alma mater “Bright College Years.”
13 / 13

Heads of the class

As is traditional, many of the members of the Yale College Class of 2012 wore statement-making headgear to the Class Day ceremony on May 20.

Gallery

Heads of the class

1 / 20
2 / 20
3 / 20
4 / 20
5 / 20
6 / 20
7 / 20
8 / 20
9 / 20
10 / 20
11 / 20
12 / 20
13 / 20
14 / 20
15 / 20
16 / 20
17 / 20
18 / 20
19 / 20
20 / 20

Commencement scenes from the Graduate School

For those earning doctorates and master’s degrees, Commencement 2012 included the University-wide ceremony on Old Campus and a gathering in Woolsey Hall for the presentation of individual degrees and a luncheon with their families.

Gallery

Commencement scenes from the Graduate School

1 / 12
2 / 12
3 / 12
4 / 12
5 / 12
6 / 12
7 / 12
8 / 12
9 / 12
10 / 12
11 / 12
12 / 12

Graduation photos from the School of Medicine

After University Commencement on May 21, graduates from the School of Medicine and their guests processed back to the Medical Campus, where they attended a ceremony for the presentation of individual degrees — and for numerous photo ops with their family members.

Gallery

Graduation photos from the School of Medicine

1 / 12
2 / 12
3 / 12
4 / 12
5 / 12
6 / 12
7 / 12
8 / 12
9 / 12
10 / 12
11 / 12
12 / 12

Outstanding undergraduates honored at Class Day

Gallery

2012 Yale College Student Award winners

1 / 11

Taylor Cramm — The Nellie Pratt Elliot Award for the top female athlete; and Brian O’Neill —The William Neely Mallory Award for the top male athlete.
2 / 11

Brett Smith — The Amanda Walton Award for an athlete who has shown courage and spirit, and The David Everett Chantler Award for a senior with outstanding character and high moral purpose.
3 / 11

LaTisha Jeanette Campbell and Eliot Kim — The Nakanishi Prize for leadership in enhancing race or ethnic relations.
4 / 11

Katherine Miller and Sam Vesuna — The Roosevelt L. Thompson Prize for commitment and capacity for public service.
5 / 11

Joan English Gass — The James Andrew Haas Prize for breadth of intellectual achievement and strength of character.
6 / 11

Naomi Meghan Woo and Emily Christine Cooley — The Louis Sudler Prize for excellence in the performing and creative arts.
7 / 11

Joseph Keller Carlsmith — The Warren Memorial Scholarship Prize for the senior who ranks highest in the humanities.
8 / 11

Jordan Laris Cohen and Carmen Xiao Wei Lu — The Arthur Twining Hadley Prize for the senior who ranks highest in the social sciences.
9 / 11

Nimit Jain — The Russell Henry Chittenden Prize for the senior who ranks highest in mathematics or science.
10 / 11

Benjamin Y. Liu — The Alpheus Henry Snow Prize for the senior who has done the most to inspire the tradition of high scholarship among his or her classmates.
11 / 11