UCM Commencement May 10-11 Brings Thousands of Family Members, Friends to Campus

By Jeff Murphy, May 7, 2019

WARRENSBURG, MO – Thousands of family members and friends of students attending the University of Central Missouri will converge on Warrensburg Friday and Saturday, May 10-11 for 2019 Spring Commencement exercises. Approximately 2,080 undergraduate and graduate students who have met their degree requirements and are eligible to graduate during the spring or summer 2019 will participate in one of four ceremonies in the Multipurpose Building.

UCM President Roger Best will present the commencement address at each ceremony, and will confer degrees on the graduates. All ceremonies are open to the public.

Commencement weekend begins with the graduate ceremony for four colleges at 2:30 p.m. Friday, followed at 6 p.m. by the undergraduate exercises for students who have earned degrees within the College of Health, Science and Technology. Saturday commencement exercises begin at 10 a.m. for students in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, the College of Education and the THRIVE Program. At 2 p.m. Saturday, commencement continues with the conferring of baccalaureate degrees upon graduates of the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies.

Also during commencement weekend, the university will honor three individuals who have received special awards. Part of the Saturday festivities, Charles (Charlie) Schwepker, who is the Rand and Kelly Harbert Distinguished Marketing Professor in the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies, will receive the Byler Distinguished Faculty Award, the top honor presented to faculty, during the 2 p.m. ceremony. During the same ceremony, senior aviation management major Yuganesh Gunalan, son of Gunalan Krishnan and Gomathi Vanathan, Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia, will receive the Charno Award, recognition given to the top male citizen of the senior class. The Charno Award presented to the top female baccalaureate degree candidate will be awarded to international studies major Katherine (Katie) Kim, daughter of Bill and Jennifer Kim, Oak Grove, during the 10 a.m. ceremony.

Other commencement activities include the U.S. Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony in Hendricks Hall at 9 a.m. Friday, followed by a reception in the Elliott Student Union Room 236/238. The Department of Nursing Pinning Ceremony is at 3:30 p.m. Friday in Hendricks Hall, and Honors College Reception at 4 p.m. in Union 236/238. The Honors College also is planning a reception for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Union 237A-B.