Advanced Degree Ceremony
The SA+P Commencement Ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 28th, at 11:00 am in Kresge Auditorium.
Alejandro Aravena to Give SA+P Advanced Degree Ceremony Address
Alejandro Aravena will deliver the keynote address to graduates and their guests at the Advanced Degree Ceremony in Kresge Auditorium.
Aravena is known for his work on social housing, urban infrastructure, and community-centered design.A graduate of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, with additional studies at the IUAV University of Venice, Aravena is founder and executive director of ELEMENTAL S.A., a “Do Tank” focused on social housing, urban space, institutional projects, and infrastructure.
ELEMENTAL also works with government agencies on emergency relief, negotiations over contested urban spaces, and policy change. Projects by ELEMENTAL include housing in Quinta Monroy, several buildings on the campus of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, and international projects including the Le Mans and Johnson residence halls at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, the proposed Art Mill Museum in Doha, Qatar, and the EDP (Energias de Portugal) Headquarters in Lisbon, Portugal.
The work of ELEMENTAL has been exhibited and published extensively around the world and has received several awards including the 2019 ULI J.C. Nichols Prize and the 2018 RIBA Charles Jencks Award. Aravena was the first architect to receive the Gothenburg Prize for Sustainable Development (2017). In 2016, Aravena curated the 15th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, titled “Reporting from the Front.” That same year, he was awarded the Pritzker Prize in Architecture.
Aravena has taught at several universities, including the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia. He is the ELEMENTAL-Copec Chair at Universidad Católica de Chile, and a member of the advisory board of the Cities Program of the London School of Economics. Based in Santiago, Chile, he serves as chair of the Pritzker Architecture Prize jury.
Tickets
Graduates are eligible to receive up to four (4) guest tickets to the School of Architecture and Planning Advanced Degree Ceremony and four (4) guest tickets to the OneMIT Commencement Ceremony. Graduates do not need tickets.
Obtain Regalia and Masters Cords
Pick up your regalia.
PhD Students: You will receive your hood on stage as part of the ceremony. Unlike the regalia that you may have chosen to rent, this hood is yours to keep as a symbol of your momentous achievement.
Masters Students: Master’s students will wear a cord that designates their program: red for Architecture, green for ACT, orange for DUSP, blue for CRE, and white for MAS. Cords will be distributed when you check-in at Johnson on May 28th.
Name Information
You will receive an email from NameCoach (sender: no-reply@name-coach.com) in mid-April with a personalized link to record your name. From that link, you will be able to record your name using your computer or phone, or you can upload a recording. You will be able to review your recording in May.
If you miss the recording deadline, have technical difficulties, or choose not to make a recording, your name will still be announced at your ceremony. If you are on the degree list and participating, your name will be called.
Day of Graduation Details
Arrive at the Johnson Athletic Center at 10:00 am. After checking in, you will be directed to your position in the procession. The details for walking across the stage, including diagrams, will be sent to you separately.
Information for Faculty
For information about regalia and tickets, please visit MIT’s Commencement website. Please arrive at the Johnson Athletic Center to line up for the procession at 10:00 am.
SA+P Department Celebrations
Architecture: May 27 | 4:00–6:00 pm, Walker Lawn - Between Walker & Hayden Library
Center for Real Estate: May 27 | 5:00–7:00 pm, Eastman Court - Tent J
Media Arts & Sciences: May 27 | 1:00–3:00 pm, E14, 6th Floor
Urban Studies and Planning: May 27 | 2:30–5:00 pm, Eastman Court - Tent K
Questions about the SA+P Advanced Degree Ceremony?
Email: sap_graduation@mit.edu.