MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Members of the Class of 2015 at West Virginia University will be celebrated in nearly 20 ceremonies beginning Thursday night and stretching through Sunday evening in Morgantown
“Whether that’s an undergraduate degree, whether that is a graduate level degree, I think they’re really focused on finding, along with the university’s help, the best path to help them reach the goals that they have,” WVU Assistant Director for University Relations April Kaull said.
The number of graduates has gone up in every degree category with the largest jump in undergraduate degree holders. This May, 323 more students will leave with a 4-year degree over May 2014. The total graduating class is nearly 4,500 students.
WVU has offered a number of new services for graduates. President Gordon Gee is hosting a send-off event set for Thursday evening at the WVU Coliseum.
University relations snapped free graduation photos for seniors in front of the Health Sciences Center Pylons and at Woodburn Hall. Student overwhelmingly took advantage of the first-come-first-serve sessions.
“It was really an opportunity to give those graduates a professional photograph they can use as they move into the next phase of their life,” explained Kaull.
Graduates represent 45 states and Puerto Rico and 43 other countries across the globe.
A marketing measure highlighting individual and unique WVU graduate stories has garnered national attention.
“This is a place where a challenge is an opportunity. So many of our students and our graduates just grab on to that opportunity and run with it,” described Kaull “Those are the stories that I think sometimes get overlooked.”
For example, Anthony Brutto, 94, started his college career in the 1940s and is finishing up seven decades later.
Zevi Lowenberg is an Air Force chaplain, a rabbi and exceptional student also featured in WVU’s Chronicles.
Four men and women will receive honorary degrees from WVU, including former state House of Delegates member Charlene Marshall.
There will be 2,863 undergraduate degree recipients, 1,160 graduate degree recipients and 387 professional degree graduates.
The commencement weekend events include:
Friday, May 15:
School of Public Health, 4 p.m., Morgantown Event Center
Speaker: Ron Stollings, West Virginia state senator, doctor, WVU graduate
Saturday, May 16:
School of Dentistry, 9 a.m., Morgantown Event Center
Speaker: Daniel J. Strinkowski, dentist, WVU graduate
College of Education and Human Services, 9 a.m., Coliseum
Speaker: Gregg Behr, executive director of the Grable Foundation
Reed College of Media, 9:30 a.m., Creative Arts Center
Speaker: Rob King, senior vice president, SportsCenter and News at ESPN
Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, 1 p.m., Coliseum
Speaker: Preston Chen, founder and chairman of Ho Tung Industries, WVU graduate
School of Nursing, 1 p.m., Morgantown Event Center
Speaker: Elisabeth Shelton, associate dean of academics, WVU School of Nursing
College of Law, 1:30 p.m., Creative Arts Center
Speaker: Arthur L. Rizer, associate professor of law, WVU College of Law
School of Pharmacy, 5 p.m., Morgantown Event Center
Speaker: Lucinda Maine executive vice president and CEO, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
College of Creative Arts, 5:30 p.m., Creative Arts Center
Speaker: Jacob Lewis, director, Jacob Lewis Gallery in New York, WVU graduate
College of Business and Economics, 6 p.m., Coliseum
Speaker: Doug Van Scoy, former Smith Barney investor, founder and partner of Pit Partners, WVU graduate
Sunday, May 17:
School of Medicine: M.D. and Ph.D., 9 a.m., Morgantown Event Center
Speaker: Michael Gaziano, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the Division of Aging at Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, 9:30 a.m., Coliseum
Speaker: Ralph Currey, board director at Iberdrola Renewables, WVU graduate
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Doctoral and Master’s, 9 a.m., Creative Arts Center
Speaker: Julie Smith, founder, ChangePartner, WVU graduate
College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, 12:30 p.m., Creative Arts Center
Speaker: Ken Herock, former NFL player and administrator, WVU football player
School of Medicine: Professional Programs, 2 p.m., Morgantown Event Center
Speaker: Mike Schlappi, motivational speaker, gold medalist
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Bachelor’s, 2 p.m., Coliseum
Speaker: Sylvia Mathews Burwell, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, West Virginia native
University College, 4:30 p.m., Creative Arts Center
Speaker: Kerissa Kuis, CEO and founder of the University of Wellness, WVU graduate