Chancellor James R. Martin II shakes hands with new Ph.D. Arjun Thapa as Provost Tonya Smith-Jackson, left, and Niroj Aryal, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, look on.


Spring 2025 Commencements, held at First Horizon Coliseum at the Greensboro Complex on May 9 for the Graduate College and May 10 for undergraduates, brought two major “firsts” to the university:

The first spring commencements to be presided over by Chancellor James R. Martin II; and the first graduates of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences’ Ph.D. program, which launched in 2022.

“You’ve been shaped by the values of A&T,” Martin told an undergraduate class of more than 1,600, including 127 CAES undergraduate Aggies. You have the responsibility to use your education to lift others up and shape the world around you.”

Martin took note of the 135th anniversary of the Second Morrill Act, the law signed and passed by Congress in 1890 that required states to establish separate land-grant institutions for Black students or demonstrate that admission was not restricted by race.

“The Second Morrill Act was passed in 1890 and just eight months later, North Carolina A&T was born in our state’s general assembly as the Agricultural & Mechanical College,” said Martin. “Who could have guessed all these many years later, A&T would hold such a singular place in American education? We’re the number one producer of Black STEM graduates, the number one producer of Black engineers, the number one producer of Black agricultural scientists. And I can keep going.”

Brad Holmes ’02, executive vice president and general manager of the National Football League’s Detroit Lions, served as keynote speaker for the two baccalaureate student ceremonies Saturday.  

A defensive tackle, he was a four-year letterman, two-year starter and 2001 captain for the Aggie football team, which won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Historically Black College and University National Championship under legendary coach Bill Hayes.

In his keynote speech, he gave the new graduates his own pep talk.

“Chase your passion. Read as much as you can. Be grateful. Be consistent,” he said.

“Life is hard, but you already knew that. Choose your hard. Financial discipline is hard, but so is debt. Marriage is hard, but so is divorce. Waking up on time to go to work is hard, and so is unemployment. Choose your hard.”

Graduates in blue caps and gowns sit in rows. One cap is decorated with paw prints and checkboxes marked “B.S.” checked and “D.V.M.” unchecked, while another cap reads Wilma Made.

An Animal Sciences graduate’s mortarboard shows her next plans.

Twenty-three graduate students left the coliseum with diplomas and certificates on May 9, including one Ph.D. student, 12 master’s degree-earners and 10 students receiving certificates in human lactation and advanced waste management, respectively.

Keynote speaker Joan Higginbotham is a retired NASA astronaut and the third African American woman to go into space. Widely recognized for her accomplishments in space exploration, she is a recipient of the National Space Medal, the Adler Planetarium Women in Space Award and NASA Exceptional Service Medal and was named one of Savoy Magazine’s Top Influential Women in Corporate America and one of Essence magazine’s Top 50 Women, among other accolades.

To succeed, she told graduates, “say ‘yes’ to the stretch.”

“The journey began long before liftoff; it began with an education and doing the hard work when no one was watching,” said Higgenbotham. “It began with being willing to be the only woman in the room and sometimes the only person of color, not letting that stop me but instead using that to fuel me. It began with turning what could have held me back into the very thing that propelled me forward.”

The ceremony also recognized the college’s inaugural doctoral candidate in agricultural and environmental sciences: Arjun Thapa, who graduated from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design with a concentration in sustainable agriculture and environmental sciences. Ph.D. student William Oyom, who finished the semester in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in food science, human nutrition and health, will walk the stage with his degree in Fall 2025.

Gallery

A speaker in academic regalia addresses graduates from a podium at an NC A&T commencement ceremony, with Congratulations NC A&T Graduates displayed on a large banner in the background.

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James R. Martin II, Ph.D., Chancellor, NC A&T SU, speaks during Graduate Commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC.

A group of graduates in blue gowns and caps stand in line at a crowded indoor graduation ceremony. One holds a diploma cover, and the arena is filled with spectators.

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A graduate stands on stage while being hooded by faculty during a graduation ceremony. Another official speaks at a podium adorned with a university seal. Flowers and green plants decorate the stage.

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Niroj Aryal, Associate Professor and Chair, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, NC A&T SU, hoods Arjun Thapa, Ph.D., as the first doctoral degree of CAES, during Graduate Commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. Clay Gloster Jr., Dean of The Graduate College, is shown at left announcing graduates.

A smiling graduate in a blue cap and gown waves at the camera during a graduation ceremony in a crowded indoor arena, with other graduates and attendees in the background.

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Four people in academic regalia stand onstage at a graduation ceremony, smiling and shaking hands. Blue banners and an arrangement of green plants and purple flowers are visible in the foreground.

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Shirley Hymon-Parker, Ph.D., Dean, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, NC A&T SU, left, congratulates Arjun Thapa, Ph.D., right, who received the first doctoral degree of CAES, during Graduate Commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC.

A graduate in a blue cap and gown hugs a smiling faculty member in black academic regalia during a commencement ceremony, with rows of seated graduates and a cheering audience in the background.

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A graduate in a blue and gold gown wears a decorated cap reading “KEEP SWIM” with a plush clownfish attached. Another graduate’s cap reads “We did it!” in glitter. They are at an indoor graduation ceremony.

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Three graduates in academic regalia stand and smile during a commencement ceremony. A large screen in the background reads CONGRATULATIONS NC A&T GRADUATES, and the audience is seated behind them.

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Arjun Thapa, Ph.D., who received the first doctoral degree of CAES, left, smiles with Niroj Aryal, Associate Professor and Chair, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, NC A&T SU, during Graduate Commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC.

A graduate in cap and gown hugs a faculty member on stage at a graduation ceremony, while another faculty member stands at a podium. Blue and yellow flowers and university seal are visible in the foreground.

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Niroj Aryal, Associate Professor and Chair, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, NC A&T SU, hugs Arjun Thapa, Ph.D., who received the first doctoral degree of CAES, during Graduate Commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. Clay Gloster Jr., Dean of The Graduate College, is shown at left announcing graduates.

A crowd at a graduation ceremony holds large cutouts of a graduate in a cap and gown, with more people standing and watching from the stadium seats behind them.

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A graduate in a navy and gold gown stands at a ceremony, wearing a decorated cap that reads Welk Hall, Room 216, 2025 with paw prints and rhinestones. Other graduates are visible in the background.

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Graduates in academic regalia smile and walk inside an arena during a university commencement ceremony. Other graduates and attendees fill the background, with a large blue stage and banners visible.

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A smiling graduate in a cap and gown holds a diploma case while standing next to another person in academic regalia at a graduation ceremony.

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Arjun Thapa, Ph.D., who received the first doctoral degree of CAES, left, smiles with Niroj Aryal, Associate Professor and Chair, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, NC A&T SU, during Graduate Commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC.

Graduates in blue caps and gowns sit at a commencement ceremony. One cap is decorated with a red apple, a school bus, and the phrase “My Turn to Teach,” featuring colorful school-themed embellishments.

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A graduate in a navy cap and gown wipes away tears while being comforted by a faculty member in academic regalia during a graduation ceremony in a crowded arena.

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A graduate in academic regalia stands smiling on stage as another person places a hood over his shoulders during a graduation ceremony. A speaker stands at a podium adorned with a university seal and a floral arrangement.

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Niroj Aryal, Associate Professor and Chair, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, NC A&T SU, hoods Arjun Thapa, Ph.D., as the first doctoral degree of CAES, during Graduate Commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. Clay Gloster Jr., Dean of The Graduate College, is shown at left announcing graduates.

A graduation ceremony: a graduate in cap and gown hugs a faculty member on stage while another official stands at a podium. The stage is decorated with flowers and ferns, and empty blue seats are visible in the background.

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Niroj Aryal, Associate Professor and Chair, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, NC A&T SU, hugs Arjun Thapa, Ph.D., who received the first doctoral degree of CAES, during Graduate Commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. Clay Gloster Jr., Dean of The Graduate College, is shown at left announcing graduates.

A woman in a graduation cap and gown speaks at a podium during a commencement ceremony. A ceremonial mace stands beside the podium, and flowers decorate the stage.

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Joan Higginbotham, retired NASA astronaut, delivers the address during Graduate Commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC.

Graduates in caps and gowns sit in rows; some mortarboards are decorated with flowers, quotes, and colorful designs, celebrating their achievements at a graduation ceremony.

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A group of graduates in blue caps and gowns stand and cheer at a graduation ceremony, with sashes and stoles visible; the venue is filled with people and a congratulatory banner hangs above.

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A man in academic regalia talks on a cellphone at a graduation ceremony, surrounded by other faculty members in caps and gowns, with a crowd of people in the background.

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Arjun Thapa, Ph.D., who received the first doctoral degree of College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, NC A&T SU, scans the audience prior to the Graduate Commencement at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC.

A woman in academic regalia sits and smiles at a graduation ceremony, surrounded by other faculty members in similar robes and caps, with a crowd and graduates in the background.

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Rows of graduates in navy blue caps and gowns sit in an auditorium. Some smile and look at the camera, while others face forward. A woman in the front row holds a phone and another smiles beside her.

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