The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will grant degrees to nearly 750 students during the summer all-university commencement ceremony beginning at 9 a.m. Aug. 15 in Pinnacle Bank Arena, 400 Pinnacle Arena Drive.
Shane Farritor, Lederer Professor of Engineering, will deliver a commencement address to graduates. Farritor leads UNL’s Robotics and Mechatronics Lab, a research and education program focused on the innovative application of robotics technology. Farritor helped create miniature surgical robots that can be inserted through a tiny incision and perform minimally invasive surgery that significantly reduce the patient’s pain and recovery time.
He also leads a team of UNL engineers that devised a method of measuring railroad track integrity to identify weak spots that might compromise railway safety. To date, more than 250,000 miles of railroad track have been tested.
No tickets are required for the ceremony. The public may sit in any non-reserved seats other than on the main floor, which is set for graduates, faculty and dignitaries. Handicap seating is available on the concourse level at Sections 106, 107, 112, 114, 117 and 118. Concession stands will open. Open captioning for people with hearing impairment will be provided through the ribbon screens at the corners of the arena concourse level. See Pinnacle Bank Arena seating charts.
Guest services and first aid will be on Level 3 at Gate 112.
Paid parking, including handicap parking, is available in Haymarket area garages operated by the city of Lincoln and on the street, although those planning to attend the Aug. 15 ceremony should be mindful that the Historic Haymarket Farmers’ Market will be in progress from 6 a.m. to noon in the immediate vicinity of Pinnacle Bank Arena and will affect traffic and parking patterns. Parking in the Red 1 Garage, 555 R St. at $3 per vehicle, can be reserved and paid in advance through the City of Lincoln.
Parking will not be available in the Festival Space parking lot north of the arena, where the annual Capital City Ribfest will be in progress that weekend. Pinnacle Bank Arena’s north lobby entrance will not be open for commencement.
A drop-off area for mobility-restricted guests will be available on the south side of the post office building, 700 R St., directly east of Pinnacle Bank Arena, although the area is expected to be highly congested.
Parking maps are available here.
Graduating students are to check in at 8 a.m. and remain for the entire ceremony, which will conclude by about noon. Families also are encouraged to stay for the entire ceremony out of respect for all graduates and their families. The all-university commencement ceremony will be carried live on Lincoln TimeWarner Cable Education Access Channel 80 (with cable box) or Channel 71.16 (TWC subscribers without cable box).
