College of Education and Behavioral Sciences News

WKU’s five academic colleges -- Gordon Ford College of Business, Potter College of Arts & Letters, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and College of Health and Human Services -- recognized their spring and summer 2024 graduating classes during ceremonies on Friday at Diddle Arena.

The ceremonies included remarks from college deans, commissioning of Hilltopper Army ROTC cadets as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army to serve in the active Army, National Guard or Army Reserve, individual recognition of graduates and recognition of 44 Scholars of the College. (The Scholar of the College is the baccalaureate degree student in each undergraduate college with the highest cumulative overall grade-point average and a minimum of 60 semester hours earned in residence.)

At its 195^th Commencement on Thursday evening, WKU conferred 3,112 degrees and certificates to spring and summer 2024 graduates -- 86 associate, 2,039 bachelor’s, 533 master’s, 55 doctoral and 15 specialist degrees, and 288 undergraduate certificates and 96 graduate certificates.

Posthumous degrees presented

President Timothy C. Caboni and Dr. Evelyn Thrasher, dean of the Gordon Ford College of Business, presented posthumous degrees to the families of three students who passed away this year. “These students left an indelible mark on their classmates, professors, and on the University community,” Dr. Thrasher said. “It is our hope that this deserved gesture, a mark of distinguished achievement, will help to commemorate the memories of these three amazing students.”

• A Bachelor of Science degree was presented to the family of Abigail Nash, a student in the Department of Marketing who specialized in Strategic Marketing and a certificate in Graphic Design. “She was adventurous, creative, compassionate, and a joy to be around. Outside of her studies, she had many hobbies and passions; and she loved to try new things,” Dr. Thrasher said. “Her professors speak of Abby’s genuine concern for her classmates and professors, noting that she would always say hello and ask how they were doing when she entered the classroom or met them in the hall.”

• An Associate of Interdisciplinary Studies degree was presented to the family of Johnathan Brian, a student in the Department of Management where he specialized in Entrepreneurship. “He was energetic, driven, and a bit shy, and he had a passion for fishing, even making and selling his own fishing lures in high school,” Dr. Thrasher said. “Johnathan was a member of the WKU Bass Fishing Team and a former member of the Business Living and Learning Community. He kept his goals on a dry erase board in his room, and the quote at the top read, ‘Don’t wait for the stars to align to start living your dream.’ ”

• An Associate of Interdisciplinary Studies degree was presented to the family of Jay Howard, a Business student. “He lived eagerly, dreaming of finding a community where his talents could thrive and make a difference. WKU and especially his fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha were those places,” Dr. Thrasher said. “As many have shared, Jay filled rooms with laughter and flooded hearts with selflessness. His number one priority was his community, and that is the greatest accomplishment of all.”

Gordon Ford College of Business

• Scholars of the College: Ethan Bates of Edmonton, a Business Economics and Management major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Ethan Crouch of Florence, an Accounting major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Alex Gaskin of Russell Springs, an Accounting major; Logan Hale of Louisville, a Business Administration major; Heaven Howard of Gallatin, Tennessee, a Management major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Helly Patel of Bowling Green, a Finance major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Harper Popplewell of Bowling Green, an Accounting major and  a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College.
• Outstanding Graduate Student: Carmel “Clint” Osborne, Master of Science in Cybersecurity Data Analytics
• ROTC Commissioning: Cadet Swade Constant of Glasgow, Kentucky, assigned to Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and Cadet Elijah Hinton of Prospect, Kentucky, assigned to Fort Novosel, Alabama.

Potter College of Arts & Letters

• Scholars of the College: Bailey Brush of Evansville, Indiana, a Visual Arts major; Madison Carter of Shepherdsville, a Journalism and Political Science; Allison Francis of Louisville, a Chinese major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Kennedy Gayheart of Lexington, a Broadcasting and Public Relations major; Brandon Hardcastle of Bowling Green, a Music Education major; Anna Kate Hardin of Lebanon, a Political Science and Communication major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Lillian Hargesheimer of Louisville, a Performing Arts major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Harley RaShea Howard of Rochester, a Public Relations major; Sophie Jones of Florence, a Dance major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College.  Kathryn Klassen of Santa Clarita, California, a Chinese, Asian Religions and Cultures, and International Relations major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Lily Lang of Cincinnati, Ohio, a Visual Studies and Advertising major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Macey Paige Martin of Elizabethtown, a Criminology major; Caleb Middleton of Gray, a Music major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Mariia Novoselia of Odesa, Ukraine, a Journalism major; Sally Powell of Kansas City, Missouri, a History major; Chaney Robinson of Murray, a Religious Studies major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Cameron Taylor of LaGrange, a Music Education major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Sebastian Tingle of Somerset, a Performing Arts and Film major.
• Ogden Foundation Scholar: Mariia Novoselia, Journalism
• Outstanding Graduate Student: Katelyn Shane Bennett, Master of Arts in Folk Studies
• ROTC Commissioning: Cadet Romie Craig of Fort Knox, Kentucky, assigned to Fort Moore, Georgia; Cadet Samuel Feldman of Frankfort, Kentucky, assigned to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Cadet Ethan Underhill of White House, Tennessee, assigned to Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and Cadet Daniel Vuleta of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, assigned to Fort Novosel, Alabama.

More: WKU celebrates Class of 2024; Recognition Ceremony photos

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Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.