![\"\"](\"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Shark-SIDE.jpg\")
<\/a>Randy Thomas, right, was a contestant on Discovery\u2019s Shark Week series \u201cShark Academy.” The 2019 UToledo alumnus is the keynote speaker at the undergraduate commencement ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. May 7 in Savage Arena.<\/p><\/div>\n
The University\u2019s graduate commencement ceremony and doctoral hooding are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, May 6, in Savage Arena, and will commemorate 819 candidates for doctoral, education specialist and master\u2019s degrees as well as graduate certificates. Dr. Rhonda Foster, an alumnus of the UToledo College of Nursing and healthcare consultant and leader, will be the keynote speaker.<\/p>\n
Tickets are required for admission.<\/p>\n
\u201cRocket Nation is excited to celebrate our newest alumni and their successful academic journey as members of the Class of 2022 \u2014 a historic year as The University of Toledo celebrates 150 years of serving students and our community,\u201d said UToledo President Gregory Postel. \u201cWe also are pleased to welcome successful alumni back home to share their experiences and insight to inspire our graduates and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas, the speaker for the undergraduate ceremonies, is a wildlife researcher and educator whose passion for animals and endangered species has taken him to land and water habitats around the world, while working with government, private and nonprofit organizations committed to conservation.<\/p>\n
Currently working for the USGS, Thomas conducts field and lab research on the endangered Mojave Desert tortoise and the surrounding desert habitat. In addition to his research, Thomas develops scientific and public awareness communications related to the USGS conservation efforts and educational programs.<\/p>\n
At the Bimini Biological Field Station Shark Lab in the Bahamas, Thomas tagged sharks as part of research into population dynamics, movement patterns and behavior. He also serves as an ambassador and instructor with \u201cSharks4Kids,\u201d a nonprofit organization that specializes in creating a new generation of shark advocates through access to a dynamic range of educational materials and experiences.<\/p>\n
In 2021, Thomas was selected to participate in Discovery\u2019s \u201cShark Academy\u201d and worked on a research vessel for six weeks with a team of scientists engaged in great shark diving expeditions and research on one of the world\u2019s most fascinating predators.<\/p>\n
Thomas has taught water safety skills to children in Japan, worked for the U.S. Department of Defense in Bahrain as a child youth program coordinator and served as a marine science educator with the Pigeon Key Foundation in Key West.<\/p>\n