St. Edward’s University Celebrates Fall Commencement 2023

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.