University News
More Than 1,700 Recognized in WIU Commencement Ceremonies
May 15, 2006

MACOMB, IL - - Western Illinois UniversityÂ’s Spring 2006 Commencement weekend May 12-13 included:
- An Academic Honors Convocation recognizing the distinguished academic accomplishments of the top 10 percent of graduating seniors;
- The commissioning of 17 Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets to U.S. Army Second Lieutenants;
- The hooding ceremonies of 231 masterÂ’s degree graduates;
- Three baccalaureate commencement ceremonies with 1,306 graduate participants in Macomb; and
- A combined masterÂ’s and baccalaureate ceremony with 197 participants in Moline.
Sarah (Ferguson) Windham (Carthage, IL), a music education – choral/general major, presented the Academic Convocation Speech, “Finding Your Voice in the Choir.”
College Scholars, selected by their respective colleges as their outstanding student and presented a monetary award from the WIU Foundation in recognition of their high achievement, include:
Steven Catania (Naperville, IL), a history major, is the College of Arts and Sciences Scholar, the History Departmental Scholar and an Honors Scholar withhighest academic honors (Summa Cum Laude).
Christina Earp (Davenport, IA), an accountancy and information management double major at the WIU-Quad Cities campus, is the College of Business and Technology Scholar, the Accountancy Departmental Scholar and the Information Management Department Scholar, and an Honors Scholars with highest academic honors. (Summa Cum Laude).
Molly McLuckie (Peoria, IL), a recreation, park and tourism administration major, is the College of Education and Human Services Scholar with high academic honors (Magna Cum Laude).
Jessica Schuler (Lisle, IL), who has majors in communication and psychology, is the College of Fine Arts and Communication Scholar, the Communication Departmental Scholar and an Honors Scholar. She graduated with a B.A. in communication, a B.S. in psychology and with high academic honors (Magma Cum Laude).
Danielle Keowen (Peoria, IL), a psychology major and sociology minor, is the Centennial Honors College Scholar and an Honors Scholar with high academic honors (Magna Cum Laude).
Jane Malafa (Tipp City, OH), an elementary school librarian in the Tipp City (OH) Exempted School District, is the School of Extended Studies Scholar.
Distinguished Alumni Awards were presented to Lorraine Barnhart Epperson, classes of 1948 and 1952, a real estate broker and owner of Century 21-Purdum-Epperson, Inc. in Macomb; and to Larry Mortier who served as vice president for advancement and public services at Western from August 1994 until his retirement in August 2005.
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters were awarded to Dr. Russell Dohner, a Rushville (IL) physician for more than 51 years, who was a member of the first pre-med group at Western Illinois University after World War II; and to Dr. Carmelita B. Teeter and Norman C. Teeter, who earned a bachelorÂ’s degree in psychology from Western in 1967.
DVDs and tapes of the ceremonies may be purchased through WesternÂ’s University Television (UTV), telephone 309/298-1880.
Commencement Photo Gallery
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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