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ÐÔÊӽ紫ý has announced its speakers for the .

U.S. Rep. will join ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus  and President Dale Whittaker in addressing graduates during four separate ceremonies Dec. 14-15 at the CFE Arena.

More than 5,700 degrees will be conferred during ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s annual fall commencement ceremonies. Nearly half of the degrees will be awarded to students from traditionally underrepresented communities, with Hispanic and Latinx students comprising more than one quarter of all degree recipients. ÐÔÊӽ紫ý has awarded more than 329,000 degrees since classes began 50 years ago in the fall of 1968.

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Stephanie Murphy

U.S. Representative

Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. – Commencement ceremony for the College of Business, College of Engineering & Computer Science, and College of Optics & Photonics.

Since 2017, Murphy has represented ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s 7th Congressional District, which includes Seminole County and much of northern Orange County. She is a former businesswoman, college instructor and a national security specialist in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

While with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Murphy worked on a wide range of national issues — such as counter-terrorism, foreign military relations and strategic planning — and earned numerous honors, including the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service. In the private sector, she served as a strategy consultant at Deloitte Consulting. Murphy is an alumna of Georgetown University and the College of William & Mary.

Michael J. Grindstaff ’78

ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus

Dec. 14 at 2:30 p.m. – Commencement ceremony for the College of Graduate Studies and College of Sciences.

In addition to his  role on ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s Board of Trustees, Grindstaff previously served as chairman of the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Foundation, director of the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Athletics Association, and president of the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Golden Knights Club. He is a member of the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý President’s Trust Society, the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý President’s Medallion Society, past director and lifetime member of the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Alumni organization, and a ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Alumni trustee.

A partner in the law firm Shutts & Bowen, Grindstaff’s legal practice has been concentrated in the areas of real estate transactions, land use and development. He earned and a J.D. from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University.

Dale Whittaker

ÐÔÊӽ紫ý President

Dec. 15 at 9 a.m. – Commencement ceremony for the College of Community Innovation & Education and College of Health Professions & Sciences.

Dec, 15 at 2:30 p.m. – Commencement ceremony for the College of Arts & Humanities, College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Undergraduate Studies, and Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

Whittaker became ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s fifth president in July. As president, he focuses on continuing ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s remarkable trajectory in academics, athletics, research and community impact while striving to expand opportunity and access to education.

Whittaker came to ÐÔÊӽ紫ý in August 2014 to serve as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, providing leadership to ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s 13 colleges, multiple campuses and research centers and institutes. As a professor, he specializes in agricultural and biological engineering, with an equal passion for the arts and providing students with authentic learning experiences. Before coming to ÐÔÊӽ紫ý, Whittaker served in multiple faculty and leadership positions at Purdue and Texas A&M universities; he also is an alumnus of both universities.

Ticketing Information and Viewing Options

Tickets are required for ceremony admission. Graduation announcements cannot be used for admission. Graduate candidates will receive tickets with their cap and gown order; each graduate candidate will receive up to five guest tickets. Information on ticketing is available online at .

Guests who do not have tickets are able to watch the ceremony in the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý FAIRWINDS Alumni Center and the Student Union. Tickets are not required for the telecast, which is closed captioned. The Alumni Center will open at 8 a.m. on both Dec. 14 and 15. The Student Union will open at 7 a.m. Dec. 14 and 9 a.m. Dec. 15.