University News
Spring Commencement: May 14-15, Macomb; May 16 - QCs
April 26, 2010
MACOMB/MOLINE, IL -- Ceremonies recognizing the academic and personal accomplishments of Western Illinois University students and alumni will be held Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15 in Macomb and Sunday, May 16 in the Quad Cities during Western's Spring 2010 Commencement Weekend.
More than 2,400 students - - including nearly 1,900 undergraduate and approximately 515 graduate students - - are eligible to participate in the Spring 2010 ceremonies. Western Illinois University's Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Hughey, director of orchestral activities, will play for each Macomb ceremony. Two music students will perform the National Anthem throughout the six-ceremony weekend. They are Colleen Johnson (Effingham, IL), a senior musical theatre major; and Denver Murphy (Marion, IL), a senior recreation, park and tourism administration major with a music minor.
Macomb Honors, Commissioning & Commencement Ceremonies
Events scheduled for Friday, May 14 include the following:
• The 2 p.m. Academic Honors Convocation in Western Hall, where College, Honors and Departmental Scholars and students with academic distinction based on grade point average receive a medallion for each academic honor. Graduating senior Michael Kwiatkowski (Mundelein, IL), a law enforcement and justice administration major and a member of the Centennial Honors College, is the Convocation speaker. Johnson will sing the National Anthem.
• The 4 p.m. military science department Army ROTC Commissioning to 2nd Lt. ceremony in the University Union Heritage Room.
• The 5:30 p.m. Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony in Western Hall, where three advanced graduates are scheduled to receive their Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership degree.
Three Commencement ceremonies for undergraduate students will be held Saturday, May 15 in Western Hall.
• The 9 a.m. ceremony will recognize candidates for graduation in the College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) and in the College of Business and Technology (CBT). A Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Thomas A. Nardi, a 1976 accountancy graduate, who, since November 2008, has served as the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Navigant Consulting, Inc., a NYSE publicly traded specialized, global consulting firm. He serves on President Goldfarb's National Advisory Council and supports the Thomas A. Nardi Endowed Scholarship in the Department of Accountancy.
Prior of Navigant, Nardi served as president and as CFO of two public utility and energy companies. He began his career in the Chicago audit practice of Arthur Andersen (1976-1981) (See April 16 release.)
Marshals, who are graduating seniors selected from the top scholars in their academic disciplines, guide the graduating class and stage party from the processional to the recessional. They are: Rachel Erin DeSotel (Nauvoo, IL), the College of Business and Technology Scholar, the Agriculture Departmental Scholar and an Honors Scholar; Kate Elizabeth Harrington (Ooltewah, TN), the Communication Sciences and Disorders Departmental Scholar and an Honors Scholar; Kyle C. Herreras (St. Charles, IL), a Graphic Communication and Broadcasting – News/Performance double major and Honors Scholar; Eric Walter Kamenjarin (Naperville, IL), the Construction Management Departmental Scholar; Shane Jerald Kwaterski (Baileys Harbor, WI), the Marketing Departmental Scholar; Rebecca R. Mast (Fowler, IL), a Marketing major and Honors Scholar; Rosanna Grace Regan (Wauconda, IL), a Communication Sciences and Disorders major; and Jonathan J. Wilson (Wonder Lake, IL) the College of Fine Arts and Communication Scholar, the Music – composition (Bachelor of Music) Departmental Scholar and an Honors Scholar.
• The 1 p.m. ceremony will recognize candidates for graduation in the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS). An Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, the highest award Western can bestow, will be presented to John D. Welty, president of California State University, Fresno, since July 1991, and a professor in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development. Welty, a 1966 Western alumnus in social science, is a national leader in higher education, having served on several advisory groups to the U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture as well as other important organizations. (See April 19 release.)
The International Alumni Achievement Award will be presented to Hyuk-Jong Kim, president of Gwangju University in Korea since 2003. Kim earned his master's degree in education at Western in 1987, and that year he joined the Gwangju faculty. He has been instrumental in supporting Gwangju University students who Western's summer program, which allows students to better their English skills and learn more about America; and he hosted a delegation of Western faculty and administrators at his university. (See April 21 release.)
A posthumous diploma for Kyle David Russell, who died Dec. 1, 2009 from leukemia, will be presented to his parents, Steven and Lynette Russell of Quincy (IL). He was a senior law enforcement and justice administration major with a military science minor.
Marshals for the 1 p.m. ceremony are: Deidra J. Goodpasture (Good Hope, IL), Law Enforcement and Justice Administration major; Ashley Elizabeth Gose (Towanda, IL), Instructional Design and Technology Departmental Scholar and Honors Scholar;
Stephanie La Porte (Cary, IL), Law Enforcement and Justice Administration major, forensic psychology minor; Erin Lynn Murphy (Orland Hills, IL), Elementary Education major; Meghan Orris (Jacksonville, IL), Special Education major; Hannah Marie Thomas (Roseville, IL), Exercise Science Departmental Scholar; Erin E. Woodside (Burlington, IA), Social Work major; communication minor; Megan K. Yocum (Franklin Grove, IL), Elementary Education, Honors Scholar.
• The 4:30 p.m. ceremony will recognize candidates for graduation in the Board of Trustees – Bachelor of Arts Degree Program, Interdisciplinary Studies Program and the College of Arts and Sciences.
The Alumni Achievement Award will be presented to Herbert L. Strong, a 1972 finance graduate who served as president/CEO of MidAmerica National Bank from November 2006 until his retirement in March 2010. He also served a president of MidAmerica's Macomb office for 11 years. (See April 21 release.)
Marshals are:
Sara Beth Garmer (Mendon, IL), History major, Film minor; Kate Lauren Grahl (McHenry, IL), Centennial Honors College Scholar and an Honors Scholar; Timothy L. Gross (Goodfield, IL), Meteorology Departmental Scholar; Christina L. Meads (Taylorville, IL) College of Arts and Sciences Scholar and an Honors Scholar in Psychology; Micca Allyson Metz (Fairbury, IL), History major with minors in creative writing and anthropology; Glenna Lee Sabo (East Peoria, IL), English major and an Honors Scholar; Nissa Elaine Shipman (Hillsboro, IL), Biology major and an Honors Scholar; and John James Tate III (Dixon, IL), Spanish Departmental Scholar.
Quad Cities Ceremonies – Sunday, May 16
• Noon. Academic Honors Convocation at the i wireless Center, 1201 River Drive, Moline, IL
• 1 p.m. Combined Graduate and Undergraduate Commencement at the i wireless Center
Approximately 137 undergraduate and 120 graduate students will participate, including doctoral candidate Anne Marie Budde.
Western's Brass Ensemble will play at the Quad Cities ceremony. Members include:
Adam Beck (Rock Island, IL), senior, music education major; Chris Haas (Nauvoo, IL), sophomore, music – instrumental performance major; Kasey Herndon (Macomb, IL), music - instrumental performance major; Sara Pschigoda (Berrien Center, MI), graduate student in music; Kimberly Truemper (Naperville, IL), freshman, music – instrumental performance major; Dwight Wyeth (Yorkville, IL), sophomore, music education major; and Professor Randall Faust, horn.
Commencement Weekend Ceremony Protocol
Western Illinois Provost and Academic Vice President Jack Thomas will lead each Commencement ceremony, and President Al Goldfarb will confer degrees and make remarks to the graduating classes. Members of Western's Board of Trustees and the Alumni Association will participate; and 2010 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Don T. Johnson, marketing and finance, will be recognized at each ceremony.
Live Broadcast/Web Stream
Western's University Television (UTV) will broadcast the Academic Honors Convocation and all Macomb Commencement ceremonies live on Macomb's Cable Channel 3. The Macomb ceremonies will also be streamed live on the web. A link to the web broadcast will be available from Western's homepage at wiu.edu during the time of the ceremonies. DVDs and Photos: DVDs of the Macomb and Quad Cities ceremonies may be purchased through UTV, telephone (309) 298-1880. Photographs of each graduate will be taken as they receive their diploma cover. Proof sheets will be mailed from Western's Visual Production Center to each graduate, with instructions for ordering photos.
Open Ceremonies; ADA Requests
Ceremonies are open to family and friends of the graduates. Tickets are not required; seating is on a first-come basis. Doors open 90 minutes before each ceremony. An interpreter will sign each ceremony. Individuals needing special accommodations for the Macomb ceremonies should contact Western's Office of Equal Opportunity and Access, telephone (309) 298-1977. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
Individuals needing special accommodations for the Quad Cities ceremony should contact Chris Brown at WIU-Quad Cities, (309) 762-9481, ext. 287 or MC-Brown2@wiu.edu. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
Hand Sanitation Stations
Hand sanitation stations will be available at Western Hall for Western Illinois University's Macomb Commencement ceremonies Friday (May 14) and Saturday (May 15), and at the
i wireless Center in Moline for the WIU-Quad Cities Commencement ceremony Sunday (May 16). Participants and attendees are encouraged to follow the recommendations listed on the WIU Pandemic Preparedness and Response website (wiu.edu/pandemic). For more information, visit wiu.edu/Commencement.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing
Connect with us: