A shout-out to marshal Abbott

The individual designated as “commencement marshal” has the honor of leading the platform party and graduate processional into the hall to begin the ceremony.

For the last decade, that’s been Prof. Cliff Abbott of Information and Computing Science, who holds the honor by virtue of his concurrent appointment in the campus governance role of Secretary of the Faculty and Academic Staff.

On Saturday (May 16), Abbott led his last processional as marshal, as he is retiring at the close of the academic year. Once the platform party was seated, Abbott delivered his one and only but ceremoniously important line that opens ever commencement (“Chancellor, the University community is assembled for commencement”).

Chancellor Gary L. Miller thanked the marshal, as is protocol, but departed from the script and mentioned Abbott’s 41 years of service to the UW-Green Bay faculty. Abbott, a four-time recipient of the University’s prestigious Founders Association Award of Excellence, was given a warm ovation by faculty colleagues, the graduating seniors and others in the audience of nearly 5,000.