Nearly 300 students graduated from the University during fall commencement ceremonies at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, in the Koehler Complex.  

Click here to view photos online. 

One doctor of pharmacy degree was awarded. More than 115 graduate degrees were awarded, and more than 115 undergraduate degrees were awarded, including approximately 25 bachelor of arts degrees and approximately 90 bachelor of science degrees.            

Nearly 15 associate of arts degrees were conferred.            

Approximately 60 students who already have completed requirements for graduation walked in the ceremony.      

Jacob Rowland smiles for the camera as he waits for the processional to begin.

Dr. Katherine Fell congratulates Elizabeth Sweet as she walks across the stage during commencement.

Dee Dee Spraw, director of alumni and parent relations, and Don Collins, faculty marshal, greet Heather Snyman into the Alumni Association as she exits the stage.

     
Commencement speaker A.R. Charnes, a 1966 grad who earned a degree in marketing and went on to have a successful career in the oil industry before retiring as vice president of marketing for Getty Petroleum in 2008, first urged the graduates to thank their parents and others who helped them achieve their goals.  

“‘Thank you’ and ‘I love you’ are some of the most beautiful and powerful words” we can say, he said. “Don’t be afraid to use them.”  

Charnes offered four further tips for success in life.  

He encouraged graduates to be civil and respectful of others, and to work to make the world a better place.  

He also told them to be can-do people, to be enthusiastic and aggressive, and not afraid to fail. “You may hit a few bumps along the road, but you will go further than those who just sit back,” he said.  

Charnes also pointed to the “Power of Positive” campaign currently being led by University professor Dr. John Malacos, which over the course of the academic year is highlighting virtues including gratitude, spirituality, hope, optimism, wisdom, creativity, compassion, love, courage, perseverance, forgiveness and humility.  

“Taking these character strengths into the workplace will make you a truly unique individual,” he said, adding, “Don’t just think about the ‘power of positive’ – live it!”  

Click here to read Charnes’ full address.            

The University’s traditional Arch Ceremony immediately followed commencement at the Griffith Memorial Arch.

Two graduates share laughter and smiles after the Arch Ceremony.

A graduate and his family proudly pose for a photo on the front lawn of Old Main.

All family members, even the furry ones, were on campus to celebrate.