UC Irvine graduates gathered at Angel Stadium on Wednesday, June 15, to celebrate their achievement.
After studying through the pandemic, UCI officials said a campus-wide celebration was called for.
“Having our 2022 commencement celebration at Angel Stadium of Anaheim is our chance to celebrate, as an entire campus, the accomplishments of our graduating students and their families,” Chancellor Howard Gillman said. “They have demonstrated their resilience and perseverance over the last two difficult years, succeeding in and out of the classroom, and are prepared and eager to be our future workforce and leaders.”
It was the first all-campus commencement ceremony held since 2014, when President Barack Obama was the graduation speaker. On Wednesday, Yusef Salaam, who was one of five men exonerated after being wrongly convicted in the 1989 “Central Park jogger case,” was the featured speaker.
More than 4,500 had signed up for the commencement; the university’s individual school still held their traditional ceremonies where students walked the stage to accept their diplomas.
Undergrads completed more than 8,300 degrees this year; 871 UCI students earned master’s degrees and 413 completed doctoral programs. Law degrees were earned by 143 students and 92 completed medical degrees.