For the fifth consecutive year, Marshall will conduct two commencement ceremonies on the same day. The 9 a.m. ceremony is for bachelor’s and associate degree candidates, and a 2 p.m. ceremony the same day is for master’s and doctoral degree candidates.
Among the 1,703 students receiving degrees are 1,032 undergraduates, 500 graduate students, 75 from the School of Pharmacy, 60 students from the School of Medicine, and 36 from the School of Physical Therapy.
Marshall registrar Roberta Ferguson said 471 undergraduate students will graduate with honors. Ninety-three will graduate summa cum laude (3.85 to 4.0 GPA), 153 magna cum laude (3.6 to 3.84 GPA) and 223 cum laude (3.3 to 3.59 GPA). Two students receiving associate degrees will graduate with honors.
Marshall President Jerome Gilbert will preside at both ceremonies.
Menis E. Ketchum II, the West Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice, will be the guest speaker during the morning ceremony. Ketchum is a native of Wayne County, having graduated from Vinson High School in 1960, then from Ohio University and next from law school at West Virginia University.
Sixteen students will graduate with tentative 4.0 grade point averages. They are:
- Ryanne Taylor Brown of Greensboro, North Carolina, Science, B.S., Forensic Chemistry
- Anna Elizabeth Brownfield of Ona, West Virginia, Education, B.A., Secondary Education
- Susannah Evelyn Byrd of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Business, B.B.A., Economics
- Daniel Ross Davis of Clendenin, West Virginia, College of Information Technology and Engineering, B.S., Computer Science and Science, B.S., Applied Mathematics
- Kaitlyn Michelle Ellis of Ashton, West Virginia, Education, B.A., Elementary Education
- Allison Faith Fisher of Glenville, West Virginia, Health Professions, B.S., Communication Disorders
- Kelsey Leigh Higgins of Montgomery, West Virginia, Health Professions, B.S., Communication Disorders
- Grace Marie Imbrogno-McKeown of Huntington, Liberal Arts, B.A., Psychology
- Rachel Ann Loudermilk of Pickerington, Ohio, Science, B.S., Computer and Information Technology
- Katelyn Brooke McGuffin of Huntington, Liberal Arts, B.A., Communication Studies
- Alexandria Ray Phares of Morgantown, West Virginia, Liberal Arts, B.A., Geography
- Nettie Elizabeth Ruppert-Tilton of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, Liberal Arts, B.A., Psychology
- Robert Clayton Stanley of Parkersburg, West Virginia, Science, B.A., Criminal Justice
- Joshua Henry Stewart of Lucasville, Ohio, Education, B.A., Secondary Education
- Larry Michael Paul Whitehair of Parkersburg, West Virginia, Science, B.A., Criminal Justice
- Amanda Brooke Wood of Barboursville, West Virginia, Education, B.A., Secondary Education and History.
Separate ceremonies will take place for pharmacy and medical school graduates. The inaugural graduation ceremony for the School of Pharmacy is at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5, and the medical school ceremony is set for 5 p.m. Friday, May 6, both at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center. The official graduation date on medical and pharmacy diplomas is May 7.
Commencement notes
- Each commencement ceremony will be streamed live on the Web. The link will be available on the MU website at www.marshall.edu/it/livestream.
- As a way of recognizing each graduate’s achievement, a downloadable copy of the commencement ceremony will be available, free of charge, courtesy of the Marshall University Alumni Association. Visit www.herdalum.com to download a free copy of the ceremony.
- Marshall will provide shuttle buses to transport graduates and guests to the arena. Graduates and guests are encouraged to park on university lots at the 6th Avenue Parking Facility, the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center, Joan C. Edwards Stadium or across from Smith Hall (Lot F). Shuttle service will begin at 7:45 a.m. for the 9 a.m. ceremony and at noon for the 2 p.m. ceremony. After commencement, buses will transport passengers back to campus.
- Legacy Photographics will take photographs of the graduates, then send proof information to graduates using e-mail addresses a few days after the ceremony. Purchase of photographs is optional.
- Parking is available in the garage on Third Avenue across from the Big Sandy Superstore Arena. Parking in this garage is available on weekends at no charge. Additional parking is available in the Pullman Square garages for a minimal fee. All three parking garages are within reasonable walking distance of the arena.