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Florida State University is set to host its summer commencement events on Friday, Aug. 1. FSU Trustee Jim Henderson and Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Pamela Keel will deliver remarks to the graduates.

The day will commence with a doctoral hooding event at 9 a.m., followed by two ceremonies — scheduled for 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. — encompassing bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist degrees. President Richard McCullough will oversee all three ceremonies, which will be held at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St.

The university anticipates awarding 1,692 bachelor’s degrees, 881 master’s and specialist degrees, 183 doctoral degrees, 4 Juris doctor degrees, 93 Juris master’s degrees, and 2 LLM degrees. Approximately 1,850 graduates are expected to take part in the events.

Jim Henderson, a Florida State graduate and thriving entrepreneur, will speak at the 2 p.m. ceremony. He was raised in Wakulla County and worked full-time while pursuing his education at FSU, graduating with degrees in accounting and economics in 1969. After a lengthy career that featured executive positions at Brown & Brown Insurance and Ormond Reinsurance Group, he established AssuredPartners in 2011. Today, it stands as one of the largest insurance brokerage firms in the nation, employing over 11,000 individuals and generating $3 billion in annual revenue, with offices across North America and Europe.

Henderson is a member of FSU’s Board of Trustees, where he leads the Finance and Business Committee. He and his wife, Carole, are committed benefactors of Seminole athletics and academics, having made significant contributions to assist in constructing Legacy Hall, the future home of the College of Business.

The 2 p.m. ceremony will feature graduates from the Dedman College of Hospitality, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, College of Applied Studies, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, College of Social Sciences & Public Policy, College of Business, College of Music, and Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.

Pamela Keel, a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Psychology and FSU’s 2025-2026 Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor — the highest accolade FSU faculty can bestow upon one of their own — will deliver remarks at the 7 p.m. ceremony.

She is a globally acknowledged authority on eating disorders and body image, recognized for delineating purging disorder as a distinct classification. Her research integrates biology, psychology, culture, and media, and she has produced over 250 peer-reviewed publications and four books.

Since joining FSU in 2008, Keel has attracted more than $55 million in research funding and has been at the forefront of numerous NIH initiatives, including a $235 million program aimed at bolstering the biomedical research workforce. She co-directs an NIH institutional training grant that nurtures the upcoming generation of clinical neuroscientists. Additionally, she is a nationally revered mentor, having received five significant mentorship honors in the past two years. Her former pupils now serve as educators at prestigious universities throughout the nation.

Participants from the College of Medicine, College of Motion Picture Arts, College of Fine Arts, College of Communication & Information, College of Law, College of Nursing, College of Criminology & Criminal Justice, College of Social Work, and College of Arts and Sciences will be acknowledged during the 7 p.m. ceremony.

Every FSU graduate is automatically acknowledged as a member of the FSU Alumni Association; no dues are necessary. Alumni are encouraged to get involved and participate at alumni.fsu.edu.

For further details and live streaming links, visit commencement.fsu.edu.

The article FSU to celebrate 2025 summer commencement Aug. 1 first appeared on Florida State University News.

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