The Marriott Center fills with people before the BYU Commencement ceremony begins. (BYU)
The presiding authority and speaker during Brigham Young University’s Commencement exercises will be Elder Steven E. Snow, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. BYU President Kevin J Worthen will conduct the exercises on April 23 at 4 p.m. in the Marriott Center.
Elder Snow serves as the church historian and recorder as well as executive director of the Church History Department. He has an accounting degree from Utah State University and a juris doctorate from BYU. President Obama appointed Elder Snow to the advisory council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in 2012, making him the first LDS person to hold a seat on the council.
Ryan T. Barrett, a Salt Lake City native who is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, will be the student speaker. Barrett has been accepted into the BYU mechanical engineering graduate program.
Former BYU President Cecil O. Samuelson will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Education and Christian Service degree at the commencement. An honorary Doctor of Law and Moral Values degree will be given to Robert P. George, the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director at Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions.
According to the numbers tallied as of April 7 in a news release from BYU, 5,881 students from 10 colleges will be receiving degrees at the ceremonies, with 5,004 students receiving bachelor’s degrees, 692 students receiving master’s degrees and 185 receiving doctoral degrees.
Commencement exercises will be available live on BYUtv, BYU Radio, Classical 89 KBYU-FM and byutv.org. Commencement and convocation exercises are free and do not require tickets.