Miami to award 1,242 degrees during fall commencement

May graduates also will be recognized during virtual ceremony

Miami University will present 1,242 degrees during a virtual fall commencement ceremony at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11.

Because of mass gathering restrictions due to the global pandemic, this fall’s ceremony will be virtual. Access to the ceremony can be found online at MiamiOh.edu/commencement.

Miami President Gregory Crawford will preside over the ceremony. Degrees to be awarded include 13 certificates, 78 associates, 876 bachelor’s, 267 master’s and eight doctoral degrees. These numbers reflect both December 2020 and January (winter term) 2021 graduates.

In addition, the entire Miami Class of 2020 is invited to join the celebration, and all 2020 and winter term January 2021 graduates were invited to apply to be individually recognized during the Dec. 11 virtual ceremony. In May, Miami awarded 4,190 degrees.

The featured keynote speaker is Timothy Melley, professor of English and director of the Humanities Center, who is one of the 2020 Benjamin Harrison Medallion recipients.

The Benjamin Harrison Medallion, named for the Miami alumnus and 23rd president of the United States, is one of Miami’s most significant recognitions and has the inscription of “For Outstanding Contribution to the Education of the Nation.”

Since 1995 when he joined Miami, Melley has taught more than 30 different courses on subjects ranging from the American suburb to terrorism. Since 2011, Melley has led the Humanities Center and developed more than a dozen new programs, including a faculty publishing initiative, digital humanities fellowships and undergraduate research apprenticeships. 

In 2015, the Humanities Center won a prestigious $500,000 challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, providing the basis for a new $2 million endowment.