The U.S. surgeon general will be among the guest speakers at the commencement ceremonies of the University of California, Davis, through June 15. Dr. Richard H. Carmona, who became the country's 17th surgeon general in August 2002, will address the ceremony of the School of Medicine on Friday, June 6.

Other guest speakers will be Kerry Mazzoni, California's secretary for education, and Tamara Thornell, one of the state's teachers of the year, on June 12; and on June 14, Charles Soderquist of the Technology Development Center in West Sacramento, Frank Washington of Moon Shot Communications in Sacramento, and John E. Hamer of Paradigm Genetics in North Carolina.

The campus will award an estimated 6,573 degrees -- including 5,172 undergraduate, 493 master's, 363 doctoral and 545 professional degrees -- in 11 commencements. The School of Education, which will hold a less official ceremony, will also recognize 96 students who have completed studies for teaching credentials.

School of Medicine

Carmona -- who has said his chief concerns are disease prevention, preparedness against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, and the elimination of health disparities -- will speak at the school's commencement at 6 p.m. Friday, June 6, on the Health Sciences Quadrangle. A high-school dropout and Vietnam combat veteran, he went from nurse to doctor to professor. Among his other roles, he has been a health-care and hospital executive, provided leadership in the delivery of emergency medical services, and combined duties as a doctor and sheriff's deputy.

Kendall Lane, candidate for a Doctor of Medicine degree, also will speak at the ceremony in which 93 M.D. and five Master of Public Health degrees will be awarded.

School of Education

Mazzoni, a member of Gov. Gray Davis' cabinet, and Thornell, one of five honored by the California State Board of Education as California's Teachers of the Year for 2003, will speak at the School of Education ceremony at 2 p.m. June 12 in Freeborn Hall. Mazzoni received her Bachelor of Science degree in child development from UC Davis. Thornell earned her undergraduate degree and completed studies for her bilingual education credential at UC Davis.

The school will recognize the recipients of 19 doctoral degrees and one master's degree as well as 96 students who have completed studies for teaching credentials. The numbers for doctoral and master's degrees are included in totals for Graduate Studies.

Graduate Studies

Graduate Studies will award about 363 doctorates and 493 master's degrees, and recognize two candidates of philosophy at its ceremony in Recreation Hall at 6:30 p.m. on June 12. Bethany Amal Barratt, candidate for a doctorate in political science, will speak.

School of Veterinary Medicine

The School of Veterinary Medicine will hold its graduation ceremony at noon June 13 in Recreation Hall. It will award 122 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees, 14 Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine degrees, 12 B.S. degrees and 31 certificates recognizing completion of residency. Speaking at the event will be Rance LeFebvre, professor of microbiology, and D.V.M. candidates Jason Bravos and Melissa Garrod-VanLaningham.

College of Engineering

The College of Engineering will confer about 496 B.S. degrees in a 6:30 p.m. ceremony June 13 in Recreation Hall. Melinda Joy Cromie, a candidate for a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, will speak at the ceremony.

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Charles Soderquist of the Technology Development Center, a noted business leader and philanthropist, will speak at both the 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in Recreation Hall June 14. Soderquist, who received his master's and doctoral degrees in agricultural chemistry from UC Davis, is a longtime friend of the campus. He has served as chair of UC Davis CONNECT, a program that assists entrepreneurs, and he has provided leadership to the alumni organization and fund-raising efforts.

Jennifer Wong, a candidate for a B.S. in managerial economics and communications, will speak at the morning ceremony, and Elisa Noble, graduating with a B.S. in agricultural systems and environment, will speak at the afternoon ceremony.

The college will award about 1,688 B.S. degrees in the two ceremonies.

Graduate School of Management

Frank Washington of Moon Shot Communications in Sacramento will speak at the commencement of the Graduate School of Management at 10 a.m. June 14 in Freeborn Hall. In addition to serving as chairman and chief executive officer of the television acquisition company he founded, he has ownership interests in two television operations and a radio group with 30 stations.

The school will award Master of Business Administration degrees to 59 candidates from its full-time program and 78 from its Working Professionals program. Candidates Jennifer Elias from the full-time program and Graham McDougal of the Working Professionals program also will speak.

Division of Biological Sciences

John E. Hamer, chief scientific officer and vice president of business development for Paradigm Genetics in North Carolina, will speak at the 7:30 p.m. ceremony of the Division of Biological Sciences in Recreation Hall June 14. He received his doctorate in microbiology from UC Davis and taught at Purdue University from 1989 to 2000.

Jenny Vassilian, a candidate for a B.S. in neurobiology, physiology and behavior, will speak at the ceremony.

The division will recognize recipients of some 879 B.S., 20 Bachelor of Arts, and two Bachelor of Arts and Science degrees. These numbers are included among those degrees awarded by the College of Letters and Science and by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

College of Letters and Science

The college will award about 2,143 B.A., 768 B.S., and 65 B.A.S. degrees -- for a total of 2,976 degrees -- in two programs at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 15 in Recreation Hall.

Joseph Sheehy, a candidate for a B.A. in political science and economics, will speak at the morning ceremony, and Jeffrey Windham, graduating with a B.A. in English with a minor in Japanese, will speak at the afternoon ceremony.

School of Law

At a ceremony May 24, the law school awarded 10 Master of Laws degrees and 164 Juris Doctor degrees. Associate Justice Joyce Kennard of the California Supreme Court addressed the graduates.

Degree Numbers

Numbers of degrees include those earned since last year's commencement season, along with those awarded at a December commencement, and estimates of those to be awarded at ceremonies this year. The Office of Resource Management and Planning estimates the number of degrees to be awarded by the undergraduate colleges; Graduate Studies and the five professional schools estimate the number of degrees they will award. An audit of the actual number of degrees awarded is prepared later.

In 2001-02, the university awarded 6,128 degrees including 4,732 bachelor's, 515 master's, 346 doctoral and 535 professional degrees.