WKU Recognizes Graduate Students At 163rd Commencement

May 09, 2008

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University conferred 358 master’s and six specialist degrees, recognized three cooperative doctoral degree recipients and honored outstanding students Friday night in the graduate ceremony of its 163rd Commencement.

Natalie Jones Mountjoy of Owensboro received the John D. Minton Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions by a graduate student and is named for a longtime administrator, WKU’s first graduate dean and the University’s fifth president.

Mountjoy completed her Master of Science in biology in December and teaches biology at Owensboro Community and Technical College.

President Gary Ransdell noted that Mountjoy, the first WKU biology student to complete her thesis in Kenya, was a pioneer graduate student in the University’s research collaboration with the University of Nairobi. Her thesis helped the Kenya Wildlife Services and the Youth for Conservation organization shape conservation practices and curb poaching. She also received a prestigious Lewis and Clark Grant from the American Philosophical Society.

“Graduate students like Natalie enable WKU to become a leading American university with international reach,” Dr. Ransdell said.

Mountjoy also was recognized as the outstanding graduate student in the Ogden College of Science and Engineering.

Other outstanding graduate student awards were presented to the following during the ceremony at Diddle Arena:

*Katherine E. Wright of Tuscaloosa, Ala., College of Health and Human Services. Wright received her master’s in physical education.

*Charles H. Williamson III of Bowling Green, Potter College of Arts & Letters. Williamson received his master’s in English.

*April O. Schleig of Bowling Green, Gordon Ford College of Business. Schleig received her master’s in business administration and completed a certificate in leadership studies.

*Brentni D. Henderson of Bowling Green, University College. Henderson received her master’s in administrative dynamics, earned a certificate in leadership studies and is an MBA student at WKU.

*Miriam Stroder of Owensboro, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. Stroder received her master’s in literacy education.

As part of the ceremony, each graduate degree recipient was hooded by departmental faculty.
The first three graduates honored were recipients of the doctoral degree in educational administration offered cooperatively by WKU and University of Louisville. They were Rebecca Ann Minton Painter, Alejandro Saravia and Dana Cosby Simmons, all of Bowling Green.

The graduating class also included 65 international students from seven countries.

Commencement activities continue Saturday

Commencement Weekend activities will continue Saturday with morning and afternoon ceremonies at Diddle Arena as WKU confers degrees to 1,418 undergraduate students. The 10 a.m. ceremony will include graduates in the College of Health and Human Services, Ogden College of Science and Engineering and College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. The 3 p.m. ceremony will include graduates of the Potter College of Arts & Letters, Gordon Ford College of Business, University College and Bowling Green Community College. The ceremonies will be broadcast live on WKYU-PBS with a webcast online at http://www.wkusports.tv.

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at WKU will honor its first graduates Saturday afternoon. The ceremony to recognize 54 seniors will begin at 1 p.m. at the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center Amphitheatre; in case of rain, the event will move to Van Meter Auditorium.

More information about Commencement Weekend is available online at http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Support/AcadAffairs/Registrar/commencement.htm.
               
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Freida Eggleton at (270) 745-5432.