Nearly 1,500 Students to March in EIU Commencement Ceremonies
May-07-2014
Nearly 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students plan to participate in commencement ceremonies at Eastern Illinois University on Saturday, May 10.
Ceremonies will take place at 9 a.m., noon, 3 and 6 p.m. in Lantz Arena. Guest tickets are required for admission.
Students from the College of Sciences will march in the morning ceremony, the College of Arts and Humanities and the School of Continuing Education at noon, the College of Education and Professional Studies at 3 p.m., and the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences at 6.
Students from the Graduate School will walk with their respective colleges during each ceremony.
EIU President William Perry will preside over the ceremonies.
Representing Eastern’s Board of Trustees will be Roger L. Kratochvil (9 a.m.), Robert Webb (noon), Mitch Gurick (3 p.m.) and Joseph R. Dively (6 p.m.).
Each ceremony will feature a special guest speaker who will present the official “Charge to the Class.” Al Bowman, former president of Illinois State University, will speak at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. EIU alumnus Habeeb Habeeb, president and CEO for Benefit Planning Consultants, plans to speak at both the noon and 6 p.m. ceremonies.
At the 9 a.m. ceremony, special recognition will be given to Andrew Methven, professor of biological sciences, who was named the 2014 recipient of Eastern's Distinguished Faculty Award. This award is presented annually by the Faculty Senate to a full-time faculty member who has excelled in teaching, professional research/creative activity and service.
Commencement marshals lead the procession while carrying the university mace inscribed with past marshals' names. This spring's commencement marshals are as follows:
• Gail Richard, department chair and professor of communication disorders and sciences, representing the College of Sciences during the morning ceremony. Richard has been a member of Eastern’s faculty since 1981.
• Jeffrey Boshart, professor of art, representing the College of Arts and Humanities during the noon ceremony. Boshart has been a member of Eastern’s faculty since 1988.
• Richard Cavanaugh, professor of health studies, representing the College of Education and Professional Studies during the 3 p.m. ceremony. Cavanaugh has been a member of Eastern’s faculty since 1992.
• Lisa Brooks, assistant professor, School of Family and Consumer Sciences, representing the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences during the 6 p.m. ceremony. Brooks has been a member of Eastern’s faculty since 2000.
Faculty marshals are given the honor of carrying the college banner for their respective colleges. This spring's faculty marshals are as follows: Gopal Periyannan, Graduate School and College of Sciences, and Robert Colombo, College of Sciences, 9 a.m.; David Smith, Graduate School and College of Arts and Humanities, Melanie Mills, College of Arts and Humanities, and Rebecca Throneburg, School of Continuing Education, noon; John Bickford, Graduate School and College of Education and Professional Studies, and Linda Reven, College of Education and Professional Studies, 3 p.m.; and R. Lance Hogan, Graduate School and Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences, and Mori Toosi, Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences, 6 p.m.
