WKU 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 2023 graduating classes during ceremonies on Friday at Diddle Arena.

The ceremonies included remarks from college deans, individual recognition of graduates and recognition of doctoral degree recipients and 46 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 193^rd Commencement on Thursday night, WKU conferred degrees and certificates to 2,832 spring and summer 2023 graduates -- 77 associate, 1,890 bachelor’s, 518 master’s, 58 doctoral and 12 specialist degrees, and 176 undergraduate certificates and 101 graduate certificates. (More: Class of 2023 celebrates at WKU’s 193^rd Commencement; photos from Commencement and Recognition Ceremonies)

Gordon Ford College of Business

Scholars of the College: Makenzie Clouse of Somerset, an Accounting major; Charlotte Couvillion of LaGrange, a Marketing major; Layla Dalton of Madison, Alabama, a Business Data Analytics major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Barrett Gray of Bowling Green, a Finance major; Chanley Logsdon of Smiths Grove, a Finance major; Cassidy Manwell of Louisville, an Accounting major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College;  Julia Rice of Verona, a Business Data Analytics major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Jacob Skillman of Nicholasville, a Business Economics major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College.

Outstanding Graduate Student: Andy Cheng, master’s degree in Accountancy and Data Analysis

Potter College of Arts & Letters

Scholars of the College: Jake Barman of Crestwood, a Political Science major; Bridget Beavin of Louisville, a History and Political Science major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Lauren Fields of Lexington, a Music major; Lorelei Frank of Bowling Green, a Performing Arts major; Shelby Hahn of Hendersonville, Tennessee, a Visual Arts major; Kendrick Mahoney of New Haven, a Film major; Cassidy Manwell of Louisville, an Arabic major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Hannah McNabb of Alvaton, a Social Studies major; Audrey Plescia of Louisville, a Theatre and Sociology major; Elizabeth Roth of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, an English major; Joseph Shoulders of Bowling Green, an English major; Rachel Taylor of Auburn, an English and Public Relations major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Hannah Whitaker of Lawrenceburg, a Political Science and Professional Legal Studies major; Madison Whittle of Scottsville, a Visual Arts major; Taylor Wilkinson of Glasgow, a Visual Studies major.

Outstanding Graduate Student: Tina Logsdon, master’s degree in Music Pedagogy

Ogden College of Science & Engineering

Scholars of the College: Kara Brunot of Edgewood, an Environment, Sustainability, and Geographic Studies major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Alex Burke of Cloverport, an Agriculture major; Billy Carver of Glasgow, a Biology major; Katie Erwin of Louisville, a Civil Engineering major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Peter Hall of Louisville, an Architectural Science major; Sofia Hasani of Bowling Green, a Computer Information Technology major; Madeline Petty of Shelbyville, a Geography/Environmental Studies major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Jessica Sandfoss of Lexington, a Biology major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Carter Story of Bowling Green, a Mathematics major; Taylor Wilkinson of Glasgow, an Architectural Science major.

Outstanding Graduate Student: Melissa Sorensen, master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Scholars of the College: Mackenzie Bullock of Caneyville, an Elementary Education major; Caitlyn Nunn of Cave City, a Psychology major; Angelann Ramer of Jeffersonville, Indiana, an Elementary Education major and a graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Carter Story of Bowling Green, a Science and Math Education major; Claire Thomas of Crestwood, an Elementary Education major; Brandy West of Russellville, a Special Education major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College.

Outstanding Graduate Student: David Roehm, masters degree in Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Education: Collette Carter, Gerald Gifford, Ya-Hsin Hsiao, Jennifer Luckett, Keile Phillips, Traci Pooler, Tyiana Thompson, Leah Wood (Note: Dissertation/project titles in Commencement program)

Doctor of Psychology: Tenille Thomas (Note: Dissertation/project titles in Commencement program)

College of Health and Human Services

Scholars of the College: Lauren Bahl of Covington, a Sport Management major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Amanda Bickett of Owensboro, a Dental Hygiene major; Erin Biggs of Bowling Green, a Nursing major; Abby Blum of Evansville, Indiana, a Communication Disorders major; Abigail Childress of Louisville, an Exercise Science major; Madelyn Curry of Hawesville, a Communication Science and Disorders major; Elizabeth DeLozier of Louisville, a Nursing major and graduate of the Mahurin Honors College; Tessa Holmes of Franklin, a Social Work major; Timberly Holmes of Franklin, a Communication Disorders major; Grace McPherson of Bremen, a Dental Hygiene major.

Outstanding Graduate Student: Lindsey Powell, master’s degree in Social Work

Doctor of Nursing: Seth Carey, Heather J. Ford, Lori K. Fox, Bailey E. Mattingly, Musa Mawanda, Jamie R. Owens, Bradley K. Parker, Tyler Jordan Smith, Tara Smotherman, Belinda Taylor, Sydney C. Word (Note: Dissertation/project titles in Commencement program)

Doctor of Physical Therapy: Sabrina Adams, Anna Albright, Will Boothe, Noah Burns, Allie Fuller, Kelley Galia, Brilyn Garrett, Taylor Geary, Graham Gibson, Lauren Goodlett, Brittany Hale, Mandolyn Harvey, Erin Houchins, Allen Howe, Krystal Keeton, Jaxon Lashley, Kennedy Logsdon, Michael Manzo, Kyle Matter, Easton May, Ashlyn Medley, Stephen Meyer, Andrew Miller, Kristin Mudd, Emma Ramsey, Jarod Stackpole, Keylee Stalcup, Jonathan Stubblefield, Corbin Suratt, Abby Tillotson (Note: Dissertation/project titles in Commencement program)

-WKU-

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.