Another spring means another season of commencement for University of California graduates. This year, nearly 60,000 UC undergraduate and graduate students are making the transition from years of study to a lifetime of putting their learning into practice. Here are highlights from commencement events throughout UC:
Berkeley
The steps one takes to receive one's diploma are momentous for any graduate. They were even more so for graduating senior Austin Whitney, who would not have taken those steps were it not for the Berkeley Engineering exoskeleton that aided Whitney (shown at left), paralyzed from the waist down from a car crash.
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Spirit and innovation sound key notes of commencement (includes photo slideshows)
Commencement speaker challenges students to give back to Cal, one text at a time
University Medalist urges fellow grads to dance for a better world
View more commencement photos on UC Berkeley's Facebook page
Davis
UC Davis welcomed back one of its own — Tani Cantil-Sakauye, chief justice of California and a Davis alumna — to address the School of Law's class of 2011 (with video).
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Graduation, social media-style
View more commencement photos on UC Davis' Facebook page
School of Medicine commencemen (with video)
Irvine
UC Irvine graduated 8,934 students in the class of 2011, its largest ever. View a slideshow of images from graduation.
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Senior's special connection to UC Irvine
UCLA
Aaron Williams, director of the Peace Corps (marking its 50th anniversary this year), and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer were among UCLA's commencement speakers this year.
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Video and congratulatory wishes on UCLA's commencement site
View more commencement photos on UCLA's Facebook page
Standing out amid a sea of black caps and gowns
Social media: Live Twitter feeds and Facebook posts on the UCLA commencement page; on Twitter, #ucla11 hashtag set up.
Merced
The newest UC campus marked a milestone with the class of 2011: It awarded its 1,000th degree.
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View video of Commencement 2011 exercises
Read profiles of some of UC Merced's 2011 graduates
Riverside
UC Riverside saw 4,500 students — a record number — graduate in the campus's 57th commencement ceremonies this spring.
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Watch videos of all UC Riverside commencement ceremonies
Share in the "Best Wishes" video for the class of 2011
View more photos on UC Riverside's commencement Facebook page
San Diego
More than 7,500 students graduated this spring from UC San Diego. Events included the campus's fourth annual All Campus Graduation Celebration.
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All Campus Graduation Celebration slideshow
UCSF
UC San Francisco Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann gave a special video message to the class of 2011: video; article
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Santa Barbara
Photos from the Bren School graduation ceremony are featured on UC Santa Barbara's Facebook page.
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Watch videos on UCSB's Facebook page
Santa Cruz
More than 3,000 students received degrees at UC Santa Cruz' commencement ceremonies. Ten of them were highlighted in "10x10," a series of multimedia profiles.
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