The Class of 2021 will walk across the stage in the Glass Bowl to celebrate receiving their degrees this weekend.

The University of Toledo will hold multiple in-person commencement ceremonies to celebrate graduates in person while also adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols.

UToledo spring commencement ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, May 8, in the Glass Bowl.

The 10 a.m. ceremony recognizes graduates from the colleges of Engineering; Health and Human Services; Nursing; and University College.

The 3 p.m. ceremony recognizes graduates from the colleges of Arts and Letters; the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation; Judith Herb College of Education; and Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

The commencement events commemorate 1,964 candidates for bachelor’s degrees, 703 candidates for master’s degrees, 52 candidates for associate’s degrees, 12 candidates for educational specialist and 45 candidates for graduate certificates.

Plus, 302 graduates from the Class of 2020 who earned their degrees during the coronavirus pandemic are scheduled to return to campus to participate in the May ceremonies.

Graduating students are split into groups for the separate ceremonies and guests are limited with tickets required for admission. All attendees will be required to wear face masks and keep at least 6 feet from others not in their household.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to provide our graduates with an in-person celebration,” UToledo President Gregory Postel said. “Our Rockets continue to demonstrate focus, perseverance and strength through their academic success, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19 during the last year. We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2021’s achievements and resilience at our in-person spring commencement ceremonies.”

The ceremonies also will be streamed live online at utoledo.edu/commencement.

UToledo alumna Irma Olguin, Jr. will remotely deliver the keynote address at the ceremonies.

Olguin is co-founder and chief executive officer of Bitwise Industries in Fresno, Calif. She graduated in 2004 from the UToledo College of Engineering with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering and went on to blaze a trail of inclusivity for women and minorities in the tech industry.

In March, Bitwise Industries announced it is investing in Toledo. Olguin’s tech company plans to open a branch in in the Jefferson Center building, Toledo’s historic former post office, to provide paid apprenticeships to students from diverse and underserved communities to learn tech skills.

“Ms. Olguin is an outstanding UToledo alumna making an incredible impact on the world,” said Dr. Karen Bjorkman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “We are pleased to welcome the entrepreneur as our commencement speaker to inspire our newest alumni as they receive their degrees.”

The College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences held its separate in-person ceremony last weekend.

College of Law Commencement is 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15, in Savage Arena.

College of Medicine and Life Sciences Commencement is 3 p.m. Friday, May 21, in Savage Arena.

And those receiving doctoral degrees will have the opportunity to participate in a separate hooding ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, May 7, in Savage Arena.