AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward’s University is proud to honor the graduating class of December 2023 at its Fall Commencement Ceremony on Friday, December 15. Nearly 235 students will receive master’s and bachelor’s degrees, and 18 will receive their doctorate.

The Commencement ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. at the St. Edward’s University Recreation and Athletics Center (RAC), followed by a beloved Hilltopper tradition, the Legacy Walk. The ceremony will also be live-streamed on the university’s YouTube channel.

In addition to celebrating our remarkable students for their academic success, the university will recognize longtime member of the hilltop family Gregory Kozmetsky with an honorary degree. 

Kozmetsky studied Business at St. Edward’s and began service on the university’s Board of Trustees in 1981, a tenure that would extend more than 20 years. He was named Trustee Emeritus in 2008. 

Throughout the years, Mr. Kozmetsky, his late parents and wife Cindy, a St. Edward’s alumna, have supported the university and its mission through their philanthropic efforts. The Kozmetsky family has assisted in creating seven endowments at St. Edward’s, including an endowment to establish and sustain The Kozmetsky Center of Excellence.

This year’s commencement speaker will be Jason E. Kelley, General Manager and Global Managing Partner for Strategic Partners and Ecosystems at IBM Consulting and a St. Edward’s University Trustee.

As a senior executive leader, Mr. Kelley serves on IBM CEO’s Executive Performance team, the IBM Chairman’s Business Acceleration team and helped found and chair the IBM Veterans business council embracing the most inclusive business resource group across the IBM Company globally. Mr. Kelley also serves as the IBM Texas Senior State Executive — representing IBM in education and government relations advocacy and creating constituent relationships with key state government and community leaders.

About St. Edward’s University

St. Edward’s University is a private university in the Catholic, Holy Cross tradition with approximately 3,600 students. Located in Austin, Texas, it is one of the top universities in the state and offers more than 50 undergraduate, seven master’s degree programs and a doctorate program. St. Edward’s delivers a premier, highly personalized education that provides students distinctive academics and extensive internships, research and service learning opportunities on a vibrant and inclusive hilltop campus in a world-class city. St. Edward’s has been recognized for 21 consecutive years as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report. In the 2024 Best Colleges rankings, St. Edward’s ranked #6 in the Best Regional University in the West category.

“Receiving this distinguished recognition from the Texas House of Representatives is an acknowledgment of our ongoing and intentional commitment toward paving a path for success for our current and future students,” said St. Edward’s University President Montserrat Fuentes. "Our administrators, faculty and staff are dedicated to providing students with increased access to scholarships, internships, research and advanced experiential learning opportunities that will position them for academic success and their professional career. Support from partners, donors and the community greatly enhance the potential to elevate the lives of St. Edward's University students.”

In addition to recognition for earning the Seal, the Texas House of Representatives congratulated the university for numerous remarkable achievements in 2023 — all of which reflect the university’s commitment to serving Hispanic and Latino students throughout their academic journey.

In Spring 2023, St. Edward’s received a more than $2.1 million grant from The Hector and Gloria López Foundation (HGLF) — providing full tuition assistance for first-generation Latino college students. St. Edward’s is the only Austin institution and first private university in Texas to receive an HGLF grant. In Summer 2023, the university received a $50,000 grant from The Hispanic Bar Association of Austin (HBAA) to establish an endowment to provide future financial support opportunities for first-generation Hispanic Pre-Law Advising Program students. 

This is the second time this year Texas lawmakers have acknowledged St. Edward’s at the Texas State Capitol. In the spring, the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate adopted a resolution commemorating February 9, 2023 as St. Edward’s University Day — recognizing the hilltop’s long legacy of success and our efforts to enrich communities beyond campus.

AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward’s University is proud to be named a Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Leader for 2023 joining only 8% of institutions to receive this designation out of nearly 600 HSIs overall.