Congratulations CALS Winter 2025 Graduates!
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Winter 2025 Graduation Celebration
CALS Graduation Celebration
Sunday, December 14 | 8:00–9:15 a.m.
Gordon Dining & Event Center, Symphony Room
770 W Dayton St, Madison, WI 53706
Join families, staff, and friends from the UW–Madison College of Agricultural & Life Sciences to celebrate our winter 2025 graduates on December 14th at the Gordon Dining & Event Center!
The celebration begins at 8:00 a.m. with a light breakfast and brief remarks at 8:30 a.m. by Dean Glenda Gillaspy. Bucky will be in attendance to take photos and graduates and guests are welcome to stay as long as they would like before leaving for the Kohl Center. Graduates must be seated for the campus-wide commencement in the Kohl Center by 9:40 am.
Please note, this celebration is not the official commencement ceremony, and degrees are officially conferred at the university-wide commencement events. Due to the high number of graduates in attendance and limited time available, graduate names will not be read at the CALS Graduation Celebration but they will be read at the campus-wide ceremony for winter graduates. Find more information on the campus-wide UW Commencement website.
Parking: Complimentary parking will be available in several campus parking lots.
Accommodations: CALS is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible event. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact academicaffairs@cals.wisc.edu. Requests should be made by November 28, 2025, though reasonable effort will be made to support late accommodation requests. Please review this webpage for accessibility information for the campus-wide commencement events.
University Commencement Ceremony
Doctoral, Law, Medical Professional, Master’s, and Bachelor’s Degree Candidate Ceremony
Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.
The Kohl Center, 601 W. Dayton Street
Doors open at 8:00 a.m. Graduates are asked to be in their seats no later than 9:40 a.m. to check-in and pick up their name reader card.
Questions?
Graduates should consult the University’s Commencement website regularly for updates. You may also email commence@chancellor.wisc.edu with any questions regarding the University’s Commencement ceremony.
CALS Major-Specific Commencement Activities
Many of our majors and departments have their own recognition programming for graduating students and some of those are featured below. Graduating students should contact their advisor with any questions about graduation activities for their major.
Agroecology
Graduates are invited to an End of Semester/Graduation Celebration on Thursday, December 11th, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM in 473 Moore Hall. Drop by anytime during this window to enjoy cake, coffee, and hot chocolate, and to wish our newest alumni good luck! A small gift will be presented to those graduating. We look forward to celebrating with you! Please reach out to kjones26@wisc.edu with any questions.
Agronomy
Graduates are invited to an End of Semester/Graduation Celebration on Thursday, December 11th, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM in 473 Moore Hall. Drop by anytime during this window to enjoy cake, coffee, and hot chocolate, and to wish our newest alumni good luck! A small gift will be presented to those graduating. We look forward to celebrating with you! Please reach out to kjones26@wisc.edu with any questions.
Biology
Stop by the 3rd floor of the Microbial Sciences Building near the Biology Major advising offices on Wednesday, December 10th, 12:00-1:30 to enjoy a snack with advisors and fellow grads. While you’re there, pick up your Biology Major mug. It’s our gift to you as our newest alumni. Please reach out to sarah.kuba@wisc.edu with any questions.
Biochemistry
Pop by the Biochemistry/Microbiology Undergraduate Advising Hub office at 440 Henry Mall (room 1315) on Thursday, December 11, between 1:00-3:00 pm to pick up a goodie bag of treats and a special graduation gift from the Biochemistry Department! We hope to see you there! Please reach out to biochemmicrobio-advisor@wisc.edu with any questions.
Genetics & Genomics
Graduates and their families are invited to attend a Genetics & Genomics graduation celebration December 13th at 4:30 pm in 1441 Genetics/Biotech Center. Contact Claire Minor with any questions at cminor2@wisc.edu.
Horticulture
Graduates are invited to an End of Semester/Graduation Celebration on Thursday, December 11th, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM in 473 Moore Hall. Drop by anytime during this window to enjoy cake, coffee, and hot chocolate, and to wish our newest alumni good luck! A small gift will be presented to those graduating. We look forward to celebrating with you! Please reach out to kjones26@wisc.edu with any questions.
Life Sciences Communication
The LSC Fall Graduation Reception will take place on Friday, December 12, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in Hiram Smith Hall in the 2nd floor lobby. Refreshments will be provided! Students will receive an invitation with more information via email. Please reach out to fd@lsc.wisc.edu with any questions.
Microbiology
Pop by the Biochemistry/Microbiology Undergraduate Advising Hub office at 440 Henry Mall (room 1315) on Thursday, December 11, between 1:00-3:00 pm to pick up a goodie bag of treats and a special graduation gift from the Bacteriology Department! We hope to see you there! Please reach out to biochemmicrobio-advisor@wisc.edu with any questions.
Plant Science and Technology
Graduates are invited to an End of Semester/Graduation Celebration on Thursday, December 11th, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM in 473 Moore Hall. Drop by anytime during this window to enjoy cake, coffee, and hot chocolate, and to wish our newest alumni good luck! A small gift will be presented to those graduating. We look forward to celebrating with you! Please reach out to kjones26@wisc.edu with any questions.
Featured Graduate Profiles
Sanshray Vallecha
Nutritional Sciences & Neurobiology, BS
Sanshray Vallecha, who grew up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, will be graduating this winter with a bachelor’s in nutritional science and neurobiology. In this Q&A, he explains what inspired him to choose his majors, his volunteer work on campus, and the networking opportunities within CALS that impacted his college experience. Sanshray plans to attend medical school to become a physician.
Katharine Hubert
Genetics, PhD
Katharine Hubert, who grew up in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, is graduating this winter with a PhD in genetics. In this Q&A, she talks about her motivations behind researching genetics, her experience co-founding the UW organization CHAMP, the Chronic Health Allies Mentorship Program, and her work to make lab equipment more accessible. Katharine will be staying in Madison to pursue a postdoc with hopes of having her own research lab.
Libby Carroll
Life Sciences Communication, BS
Libby Carroll, who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, is graduating this winter with a bachelor’s in life sciences communication (LSC) and certificates in global health and political science. In this Q&A, she talks about why she chose LSC, the relationships she’s built on campus, and her experience in the CALS Food Insecurity First-year Interest Group. Libby plans to explore career options in communications, marketing, PR, and medical device sales.