This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Eva Palmer.

More than 300 doctoral candidates were draped in velvet hoods Thursday in the Smith Center.

Provost Steven Lerman and a professor of the student’s choice placed the hoods on each graduate. The students wore brightly colored robes and hoods that signified their respective degrees – including doctor of philosophy, psychology and public health – a practice that colleges and universities have adopted to distinguish the most academically rigorous curriculum from other degrees.

Here are five stand-out moments from the event:

1. Knapp: “Today your name will become forever linked with those who have received their doctoral degrees in the past.”

University President Steven Knapp gave examples of esteemed alumni in his remarks to the graduates, citing ambassadors, women’s rights advocates and university administrators.

“Today with support of your families, your friends and your teachers and mentors you follow in the footsteps of these and thousands of other distinguished alumni,” Knapp said.

2. “Continue to be guided and inspired”

Knapp told graduates to use the same curiosity that drove them to pursue their doctoral programs in their future careers. He also applauded the graduates for their commitment to serving others.

“And I trust that wherever your future endeavours may take you, you will always regard the George Washington University as your intellectual home in this nation’s capital,” he said.

3. Lerman: “This academic journey has taken you from being a student of our faculty to a colleague of our faculty.”

In his remarks to the graduates, Lerman praised them for their hard work, referring to countless hours of writing papers and dissertations.

“Whatever you’re doing next, you all share this bond of common achievement,” he said.

4. “Academic integrity is of the utmost importance”

Lerman promoted academic honesty across “every single discipline,” emphasizing that graduates must hold themselves to a high ethical standard.

“Retain your moral compass in everything that you do. Very likely those of you here today, as you move on, will hold positions of considerable responsibility and considerable authority,” he said. “It will be up to you to set the bar for making principled choices.”

5. “Stay in connection to each other”

Lerman told graduates to stay in touch with their colleagues and mentors in the coming years and maintain a bond with the GW community.

“In this way, we can live a life that is integrated fully, rather than a series of disconnected episodes,” he said.