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Ceremonies recognizing the academic and personal accomplishments of Western Illinois University students and alumni will be held Friday-Saturday, May 10-11 in Macomb and Sunday, May 12 in the Quad Cities during Western Illinois' 2013 Spring Commencement Weekend.
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WIU Commencement Weekend May 10-12

May 1, 2013

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MACOMB/MOLINE, IL - Ceremonies recognizing the academic and personal accomplishments of Western Illinois University students and alumni will be held Friday-Saturday, May 10-11 in Macomb and Sunday, May 12 in the Quad Cities during Western Illinois' 2013 Spring Commencement Weekend.

More than 2,400 students are eligible to participate in all Commencement Ceremonies. Nearly 452 graduate-level students are eligible to participate in the Friday, May 10 ceremony in Macomb, including one candidate who will graduate with a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) degree. That student is Curtis Simonson (Pittsfield, IL).

Approximately 1,948 students are eligible to participate in the undergraduate ceremonies May 11 in Macomb and May 12 in the Quad Cities.

Distinguished Alumni
Two individuals will receive Western Illinois' Distinguished Alumni Award. They are John Garvey, a managing director in the Disputes and Investigations practice at Navigant, Inc., and Karen Kolodzey, retired president and managing partner of Brigandi+Associates (b+a). Kolodzey will be recognized at the 9 a.m. ceremony, while Garvey will be honored at the 1 p.m. ceremony, Saturday, May 11.

Kolodzey, a 1978 marketing graduate, retired as president and managing partner of Brigandi+Associates, Inc., (b+a), an independent Chicago-based marketing communications agency she co-founded with her husband in 1991. She established the agency with a single trade ad assignment and during her tenure expanded it to a multimillion dollar full-service operation focusing on consumer marketing, shopper marketing and business-to-business practice areas for Fortune 500 clients like Kraft Foods, Motorola and Kellogg's.

Garvey, a 1978 accountancy graduate, is currently the managing director in the Disputes and Investigations practice at Navigant. Previously, he was the segment leader of Navigant's Economics Practice for four years. Garvey was the president of Chicago Partners, which was sold to Navigant in May 2008. Garvey's career has spanned across the largest corporations in public accounting and consulting.

For more information on these alumni, see the April 26 news release, "2013 Distinguished Alumni," at www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php?release_id=10768.

Macomb Honors, Commissioning and Commencement Ceremonies

Provost Ken Hawkinson will serve as master of ceremonies for each ceremony. Greetings will be given by Bill Epperly, chair of the Board of Trustees and President Jack Thomas will present remarks titled, "Western Love, Western Loyalty, and Western Legacy," to each graduating class. WIU's Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Western Illinois University Music Professor James Stegall, will be recognized at each ceremony. The Western Illinois University Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Director of Orchestral Activities Richard Hughey, will play for the Macomb ceremonies.

Events scheduled for Friday, May 10 include the following:

  • 2 p.m. Academic Honors Convocation, Western Hall — College, Honors and Departmental Scholars and students with academic distinction based on grade point average (GPA) receive a medallion for each academic honor. President Jack Thomas will present, "Learning Landmark Lessons in Life." Graduating senior Andrea Patten (East Peoria, IL) is the Convocation speaker and she will present, "There's Always Room for Change." National Anthem singer: Lauren Olivia Jacob (St. Louis, MO), Bachelor of Music, Class of 2013.

  • 4 p.m. Army ROTC Commissioning, University Union Heritage Room — Twelve Army ROTC cadets who have completed requirements will be commissioned to active or reserve duty as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.

  • 5:30 p.m. Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony, Western Hall. National Anthem singer: Mark Ryan Anderson (Moro, IL), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Musical Theatre), Class of 2013.

Saturday, May 11 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies in Western Hall

To find the list of majors by college, go to wiu.edu/commencement/majors.php.

  • 9 a.m. ceremony will recognize graduates in the College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) and the College of Business and Technology (CBT). Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Karen Kolodzey '78. National Anthem singer: Michelle Marie Ogden (Tuscola, IL), B.F.A. Musical Theatre, Class of 2013.
    Marshals, who are graduating seniors selected from the top scholars earning high academic distinction, guide the graduating class, faculty and stage party from the processional to the recessional. They are: Justin Charles Allaman (Oquawka, IL), agriculture major; Layne Jordan Beuseling (Rock Island, IL), computer science major; Mary Kathryn Buss (Golden, IL), human resources management major; Brian M. Doherty (Chicago, 60655), graphic communication major; Emily Hart (Quincy, IL), music major; Jessica Lynn Morehouse (Hamilton, IL), marketing major; Ashley Kay Schwingle (La Moille, IL), communication sciences and disorders major; and Jeremy Daniel Wolf (Dixon, IL), agriculture major.

  • 1 p.m. ceremony will recognize graduates in the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS). Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to John Garvey '78. National Anthem singer: Amy Jarzembowski (Chicago, 60629), B.F.A. Musical Theatre, Class of 2013.
    Marshals are: Brenden Lowell Ankrom (Macomb, IL), social work major; Alexa Diane Arent (Apple, WI), law enforcement and justice administration/Spanish major; Mary Catherine Kiritsy (Macomb, IL), elementary education major; Sarah Morgan Lewis (Monroe Center, IL), exercise science major; Danyelle Rinai Marvel (Macomb, IL), hotel and restaurant management major; Ellen Irene Rush (Galesburg, IL), elementary education major; Joshua A. Sauder (Savoy, IL), law enforcement and justice administration major; and Ashley N. Tangerose (Rushville, IL), social work major.

  • 4:30 p.m. ceremonies will recognize candidates for graduation in the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies (BGS), the Interdisciplinary Studies Program and the College of Arts and Sciences. National Anthem singer: Hillary Pieper (Moline, IL), Bachelor of Music (Music Business), Class of 2013.
    Marshals are: Hannah K. Bradshaw (Abingdon, IL), psychology major; Joshua Joseph Davis (Normal, IL), mathematics major; Samantha Goetz (Freeport, IL), psychology major; Miranda Eileen Graham (Schoolcraft, MI), nursing major; Aaron Dean Greuel (Effingham, IL), meteorology major; Abigail M. Meads (Taylorville, IL), nursing major; Sadie Elizabeth Webb (Emporia, KS), medical sciences (biology) major; and James Scott Zweep (Oswego, IL), zoology major.

Sunday, May 12 Quad Cities – Honors and Combined Ceremonies, i wireless Center, Moline

Trustee Carolyn Ehlert Fuller will give greetings on behalf of the Board of Trustees at the 1 p.m. ceremony.

  • 12 noon Academic Honors Convocation
  • 1 p.m. Combined Graduate and Undergraduate Commencement.
    Marshals are: Nikki Beals (Hampton, IL), human resource management major; Tyla Cole (Davenport, IA), Masters of Arts, Museum Studies; Ali Domino (East Moline, IL), recreation, park and tourism administration major; Greg Hansen (Geneseo, IL), information systems major; and Ali Reschke (Moline, IL), accountancy major.

Western's Brass Ensemble, under the direction of School of Music Professor Randall Faust, will play at the Quad Cities ceremony. Members include: David Hellyer (Millington, IL, sophomore, music education major) trumpet; Ruben Puha (Burbank, IL, sophomore, music education major), trumpet; James Funk III (Peoria, IL, junior, music therapy major), trumpet; Mark Malvesti (Rockford, IL, senior, music performance major), horn; Kimberly Truemper (Naperville, IL, junior, music therapy major), trombone; and Zachery Kraemer (Richmond, IL, senior, music education major), tuba.

Flags
The flags of 28 nations representing the Spring 2013 graduating class will be displayed on the stage. Sponsored by Western's Center for International Studies, the flags represent the following countries: Angola, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Georgia, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Lithuania, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

Gonfalons and Gonfaloniers
Gonfalons, which are banners hung from a crossbar on poles, made their inaugural appearance in the Fall 2009 Commencement ceremonies. Western Illinois University gonfalons are for the School of Graduate Studies, as well as for each of the four academic colleges: Arts and Sciences (white); Business and Technology (royal blue); Education and Human Services (UN blue); and Fine Arts and Communication (spice brown). Those who are chosen to carry the gonfalons are called gonfaloniers. This honor has been awarded to the following faculty members: Erin Taylor, political science; Brian Locke, music; Shane Sanders, economics and decision sciences; Tammie Walker, music, Todd Lough, law enforcement and justice administration; and Richard Musser, biology.

At WIU-Macomb

  • The WIU gonfalon will be carried at each ceremony by Erin Taylor, associate professor of political science in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Friday, May 10, Western Hall, School of Graduate Studies

  • 5:30 p.m. – Brian Locke, associate professor, music, and chair, Graduate Council, Graduate School

Saturday, May 11, Western Hall, Undergraduate Ceremonies


  • 9 a.m. — Tammie Walker, professor of music in the College of Fine Arts and Communication; and Shane Sanders, assistant professor of economics and decision sciences in the College of Business and Technology
  • 1 p.m. — Todd Lough, associate professor of law enforcement and justice administration in the College of Education and Human Services
  • 4:30 p.m. — Richard Musser, professor of biological sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences

AT WIU-QC (i wireless Center)

  • The WIU gonfalon will be carried by Kristi Mindrup, assistant vice president, Quad Cities Campus and planning.
  • Scott Brouette, faculty assistant, Infant and Preschool Center, Graduate School
  • Dan Malachuk, associate professor, English and journalism in the College of Arts and Sciences
  • Ann Walsh, professor, management and marketing in the College of Business and Technology
  • Susan Massey, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction in the College of Education and Human Services
  • Charles Wright, chair, art in the College of Fine Arts and Communication

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 at (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 Equal Opportunity and Access Office, 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 at (309) 762-9481, ext. 62287, or email MC-Brown2@wiu.edu or Tami Seitz at (309) 762-3999, ext. 62295, or via email at TS-Seitz@wiu.edu. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing