Foster School of Business Graduation Celebration

The 2013 UW Foster School of Business Undergraduate Graduation Celebration will take place Sunday, June 9th, from 3:00pm – 5:30pm in Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The celebration will include a processional of graduates in academic regalia. The celebration is an opportunity for the Foster School to give individual recognition to each of its graduates.

To participate in the Foster School Graduation Celebration, you must respond to let us know you will be attending. Fill out the Foster School of Business Celebration Response Form to let us know you're coming.  Guests do not need tickets for entrance, and everyone is welcome to attend. Doors open to guests at 2:00pm.  Graduates must be in line no later than 2:30pm.

Questions about the Foster School's graduation celebration should be directed to jai@uw.edu.  You can also check out Graduation 2013 FAQs​.

You are welcome to attend both UW Commencement and the Foster School of Business Graduation Celebration. These events are meant to be complementary and not mutually exclusive.
 

Keynote Speaker: Neal Dempsey

Neal Dempsey is managing general partner at Bay Partners, focusing on enterprise software applications, including SAAS and consumer internet. Over the past 19 years he has guided more than two dozen start-ups to obtain highly successful outcomes—either through an IPO or by acquisition. His current investments include Eloqua, Guideware, Riya, Eventful, Sonoa, BoardVantage, Exeros, Ensenda and Staccato.

Neal has shepherded such companies as Brocade, Informatica, Exodus, Digital Island, GeoWorks, Shiva and Red Brick to successfuI IPO's. He has also managed the acquisitions of WebLogic (BEA Systems), Placeware (Microsoft), Extricity (Peregrine) and NetBoost (Intel), among others.

He is as passionate about investing in technology as he is about giving back to the community. As a board member and past Board President of Eastfield Ming Quong, a Santa Clara-based non-profit that supports emotionally disturbed children and their families, Neal helped take the Campbell non-profit from a one million dollar organization to $100 million. At the Foster School Neal helped create the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and recently won the UW "Alumnus of the Year" award. In addition, Neal and his family have provided for dozens of scholarships, fellowships and programs at the University, as well as having a major sports facility named after them—Dempsey Indoor. Most recently, Neal was honored to accept an invitation to join the Silicon Valley Chapter of the American Leadership Forum, an organization of prominent Valley leaders, dedicated to helping shape the next generation of community leaders.

When Neal isn't investing in software or the community, he can be found running; he has completed over 50 marathons. He also enjoys travelling with his family, hiking and sailing. In May 2007 he completed a circumnavigation of the world on a 50-foot sailboat.
 

UW Commencement Exercises

This year's Commencement Exercises will take place on Saturday, June 15 at CenturyLink Field. If you have graduated at any time during the academic year (Autumn, Winter, or Spring), you may participate in the June commencement ceremony where all degrees will be conferred.

Summer graduates may choose to participate in the June commencement either before or following their August graduation date. If they choose the June before, they must apply to graduate by the third week of spring quarter, but their names will not be listed in the commencement program until the following year.

You must RSVP to participate in the UW Commencement Exercises.