Pictured with staff research associate and curator of the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory, Ernesto Sandoval, plant biology graduates Belinda Ho and John Meuser propagate a tradition of affixing flora to their mortar boards during graduation. The two were among approximately 6,000 students to earn degrees this spring quarter. The majority of those students took part in the university's 12 commencement ceremonies, which ran May 22 through June 20. The campus conferred about 4,650 undergraduate, 330 master's, 285 doctoral and 550 professional degrees. In addition, 138 students were honored for completing studies for their teaching credentials. Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 9th district California assemblymember Darrell Steinberg, who is a graduate of the UC Davis School of Law, were among the guest speakers.