Commencement 2024

More than 500 students confidently crossed the stage to receive their well-earned degrees during the spring commencement ceremonies on May 4. Among them were graduates from undergraduate, graduate and health professions programs.

The undergraduate ceremony was uplifted by the keynote address delivered by Charles “Rusty” Justice, co-founder of Bit Source. Meanwhile, the health professions ceremony was graced by the inspiring words of Tim Robinson, Jr., founder and CEO of Addiction Recovery Care, LLC. Retiring professor James Browning, Ph.D., was awarded the honor of faculty emeritus. It was a day filled with celebration, recognition and the promise of a bright future for these accomplished graduates.

View more photos of this year's ceremony at https://www.flickr.com/photos/upike/collections/72157722812452275/

To succeed, you will need to master the art of life-long-learning. You have started well, but your education is far from over. Be insanely curious, dig deep, and grow without ceasing. You are now at the beginning of your life of work and service to humanity. It’s my hope for you that you will have the opportunity to experience that joy which comes from making someone else’s life better. We share in that joy, because we are a little part of you, as you will always be a little part of us.” - Burton Webb, Ph.D.

First-year students begin their college journey by ascending the iconic 99 in a ritual called The Climb. On May 3, they returned to "the 99" to complete that journey with a new tradition, The Next Steps.