Historic TAMIU Fall Commencement Ceremonies Held; Pati Jinich Provides Commencement Address
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) honored its candidates for graduation at Fall Commencement Ceremonies Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, at the Sames Auto Arena. Candidates for graduation numbered 1,166, setting a historic record for the largest Summer/Fall graduating class in the University's history.
Two ceremonies were held, one at 11 a.m. and one at 4 p.m. Ceremonies were open to the public and free of charge.
The 11 a.m. ceremony featured undergraduate and graduate candidates for degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences and University College. The 4 p.m. ceremony included candidates for undergraduate and graduate degrees from the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business, the College of Education, and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Of historic interest, Thursday's ceremony heralded the first graduate of the University's newest doctoral program in Criminal Justice, Melanie Worsley of Topeka, KS. The Ph.D. in Criminal Justice was launched in 2021 and is housed in TAMIU’s College of Arts and Sciences, department of Social Sciences.
A Ph.D. in International Business Administration was also conferred to Patrick Glavee, who was hooded by Dr. Lukai Yang, assistant professor of Finance.
Providing the Commencement Address for the Fall candidates was award-winning author, chef, and TV host Pati Jinich.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Jinich is the host and executive producer of the James Beard Award-winning PBS Primetime docuseries La Frontera, which shares untold stories from the U.S.-México border, the long-running four-time Emmy-nominated PBS daytime show Pati’s Mexican Table now on its 13th season, where she brings flavors from around México into American homes, and a new PBS Primetime series premiering Spring 2025.
A former political analyst focused on Mexican political institutions and U.S.-México relations at the Inter-American Dialogue, Jinich holds a master's degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University. Bringing together her background in policy with her love of food and talent for interviewing, Jinich has made exploring and sharing México’s cuisine and culture her life’s work.
She has been named one of the “Top 5 Border Ambassadors” by The Council of the Americas, among the “100 Greatest Cooks of All Times” by Epicurious, is a four-time James Beard Award winner for her television work, and is resident chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C. She is also the New York Times bestselling cookbook author of three cookbooks, including her most recent “Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets,” and has a fourth cookbook to be published by HarperCollins in 2026.
Jinich seeks to build greater understanding between her two home countries: México where she was born, and the United States where she currently resides, and is raising her family with husband Daniel, and their three Mexican-American sons, Alan, Samuel, and Julian.
For more about Commencement Exercises, visit the dedicated website at: tamiu.edu/commencement
Registration for Spring 2025 classes at TAMIU is underway online via Uconnect.
To learn more about TAMIU’s Registration processes, visit the dedicated Registration Hub at https://go.tamiu.edu/registration. Spring 2025 Classes begin Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.
More on the University’s story is available at tamiu.edu and on the University’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
