UO commencement to celebrate graduates and families on June 16

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The University of Oregon’s Class of 2014 will celebrate its graduation on Monday, starting at 8:45 a.m. with the traditional Duck Walk, departing from 13th Avenue and University in the heart of campus.

Check back here throughout the day for photos, videos and a sampling of your commencement-related social posts tagged #UOGrad.

The main ceremony will be live streamed on the UO Channel.

The cap-and-gowned graduates-to-be will amble down 13th Avenue to Matthew Knight Arena for the University Graduation Celebration, starting at 9:30 a.m. All told, 5,153 students will receive 5,308 degrees.

Robert X. Fogarty portrait

The main ceremony will feature commencement speaker Robert X. Fogarty, a 2005 graduate of the UO School of Journalism and Communication and founder of Dear World, a portrait project that unites people through pictures in his distinct message-on-skin style.

Fogarty's project shows that these simple portraits can be a vehicle for shared communication without regard to race, religion or language. He has photographed Nobel Peace Prize-winner Muhammad Yunus, Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon and Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees. In addition, he documents every day heroes and others who have overcome adversity, including residents in tornado-devastated Joplin, Missouri, Syrian refugee camps, and Boston marathon survivors, sharing their messages about their healing and recovery.

During his keynote addresses, Fogarty will tell some of the stories behind his favorite subjects. Often these are people he meets in places like in Joplin or Boston. 

Fogarty asks UO graduates to share one meaningful message with family, friends and strangers. Immediately following the University Graduation Celebration, Fogarty will be taking photographs of any graduate who would like to share their messages or stories. The Dear World Live @ UO Commencement portrait project will be in the Ford Alumni Center Giustina Ballroom from 11 a.m.  to 6 p.m. Participants will receive a digital copy of their photograph.

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