Me, in pre-ceremony regalia. The hood that I'm carrying in the picture will be placed on me by my thesis advisor during the ceremony. The blue-and-gold gown carries the colours of the University of California. The royal blue velvet on the gown and hood indicates the PhD degree. Most of the candidates at the ceremony have the plainer, generic black robes, rather than the UC-specific blue-and-gold (this makes me easier to spot in the following pictures). The PhD tam (hat) is also royal blue velvet, with a gold tassel (the side you wear the tassel on is not relevant for a PhD; the hood is the "has been conferred" indicator).