Osceola and Renegade leader Allen Durham, Lawton Professor Brad Schmidt to address summer FSU graduates
Florida State University alumnus and insurance executive Allen Durham, who oversees the university’s iconic Osceola and Renegade tradition, and Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Brad Schmidt will address graduates during FSU’s summer commencement ceremonies Friday, July 31, at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
FSU expects to award 2,891 degrees, including 1,582 bachelor’s degrees, 952 master’s and specialist degrees, 253 doctoral degrees, 99 Juris Master’s degrees and 5 LL.M. degrees. More than 1,786 graduates are expected to participate in the day’s ceremonies.
The day begins with a doctoral hooding ceremony at 9 a.m. Faculty members will hood doctoral graduates during the ceremony.
Bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degree candidates will be recognized during commencement ceremonies at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Florida State President Richard McCullough will preside over all three ceremonies.
2 p.m. ceremony: Allen Durham
Allen Durham, founder, president and CEO of United Badges Insurance Services, a Tallahassee-based company that provides insurance programs for first responders nationwide, will deliver the commencement address at the 2 p.m. ceremony.
A 1993 graduate of FSU’s College of Business, Durham earned a bachelor’s degree in risk management before going on to earn a law degree. During a career spanning three decades, he has built a successful business while remaining deeply engaged with his alma mater, serving in several leadership roles, including chair of the FSU National Alumni Association Board of Directors and a member of the College of Business Board of Governors.
The son of Bill Durham, who created the Osceola and Renegade tradition in 1978, Durham served as the eighth student to portray Osceola before taking over leadership of the program in 2007. Since then, he has mentored generations of student riders and helped preserve the university’s longstanding partnership with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Last year, Durham and his father were jointly honored with the Mores Torch Award for their enduring commitment to Florida State and their role in creating and sustaining one of the university’s most recognized traditions.
He will address graduates from the Dedman College of Hospitality, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, College of Applied Studies, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, Herbert Wertheim College of Business, College of Music, and Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.
7 p.m. ceremony: Brad Schmidt
Brad Schmidt, Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor and chair of Florida State University’s Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, will deliver the commencement address at the 7 p.m. ceremony.
An internationally recognized leader in clinical psychology, Schmidt studies the causes, prevention and treatment of anxiety and related mental health conditions, including PTSD, substance use and suicide.
Schmidt has led numerous research initiatives supported by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense while mentoring generations of students and early career researchers. He was recently elected to the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida.
Schmidt will address graduates from the College of Medicine, College of Motion Picture Arts, College of Fine Arts, College of Communication and Information, College of Law, College of Nursing, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, College of Social Work and College of Arts and Sciences.
Every Florida State University graduate is automatically a member of the FSU Alumni Association. Alumni can learn more at alumni.fsu.edu.
For more information about commencement, including ceremony schedules and livestream links, visit commencement.fsu.edu.