Bauer Commencement Set for May 12
Graduates to Cross Stage in Fertitta Center
Published on May 5, 2023
The Bauer Journey
Bauer Commencement Set for May 12
The C. T. Bauer College of Business will recognize more than 1,000 graduating students on May 12 during two ceremonies for the college's Spring 2023 Commencement.
The first ceremony begins at 9 a.m., followed by a second ceremony at 2 p.m. at the Fertitta Center on the University of Houston campus.
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Archived video from the May 12 ceremonies.
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The C. T. Bauer College of Business will recognize more than 1,000 graduating students on May 12 during two ceremonies for the college's Spring 2023 Commencement.
The first ceremony begins at 9 a.m., followed by a second ceremony at 2 p.m. at the Fertitta Center on the University of Houston campus. (For logistical information on the event, including parking, student check-in and guest information, click here.)
This semester's graduating class includes candidates for bachelor of business administration (BBA) degrees, as well as those completing graduate (MBA and MS) and doctoral (Ph.D.) business programs. Bauer College Dean Paul A. Pavlou will honor the degree candidates with remarks, and guests of both ceremonies will hear from keynote speaker Wallis Bank CEO Asif Dakri.
Members of the UH System Board of Regents will also be in attendance, including John A. McCall, Jr., and Edward Carrizales, as well as UH Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Raymond Bartlett and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Diane Z. Chase.
The college will share live coverage of the ceremony throughout the evening on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, with #BauerGrad23. The university will also livestream the ceremony (click here for more information on the telecast).
For more information about the Bauer College Spring 2023 Commencement ceremonies, visit www.bauer.uh.edu/commencement.
Asif Dakri
CEO
Wallis Bank
Asif Dakri is the Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Wallis Bank. Dakri joined the Bank in 2002 and has been instrumental in aggressively growing the Bank over the past twenty years. He is directly involved in the strategic direction of the Bank and the Bank’s overall lending function. During his tenure, the Bank’s asset size has more than quadrupled and its geographic footprint has expanded to the cities of San Antonio, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix and Los Angeles. The Bank is consistently ranked as one of the highest performing banks in the country based on return on assets and return on equity.
Dakri has been instrumental in keeping the Bank focused on its expertise on small business and commercial lending. The Bank has been recognized as the top SBA lender in the Houston Region for several years. Dakri recently completed a three-year term as a board member of the FDIC Advisory Committee on Community Banking in Washington, D.C.
Asif Dakri
Prior to joining Wallis Bank, Dakri worked in the Mergers and Acquisitions Consulting division for PricewaterhouseCoopers in both North America and Europe, advising multinational corporations in the Oil and Gas, Chemical Manufacturing, Automotive, IT and Hospitality industries. Before PricewaterhouseCoopers, he spent several years at Deloitte and Touche, LLP as a senior auditor for large multinational companies. Dakri is a graduate from the University of Texas at Austin where he obtained his Bachelors in Business Administration with Honors in Accounting.
Dakri is also active within the Houston business community giving speeches on financing challenges faced by small businesses. He serves as a speaker and panel member for the University of Houston’s Stimulating Urban Renewal Through Entrepreneurship (SURESM) Program. He is also a Board member of the University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business, an Advisory Director for America’s SBDC and a Director at Large of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston. In his spare time, he volunteers for several charitable organizations.