WKU News

While planning for a traditional commencement celebration this fall, WKU conferred degrees and certificates to more than 2,600 spring graduates in a virtual ceremony Friday afternoon.

“The Class of 2020 will hold a special place in our hearts and in our history, having overcome the tremendous challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. But that’s what Hilltoppers do. We overcome. We persevere. And we do it together as a family,” President Timothy C. Caboni said. “We now look forward to following you on the next leg of your journey and to seeing you back on the Hill this fall as we hold a special commencement celebration as unique as your final semester.”

WKU tentatively plans to host commencement celebration activities Sept. 18-20 during the annual Parent & Family Weekend. As plans develop, dates and times will be provided on the WKU Commencement website at https://www.wku.edu/commencement/.

The spring 2020 class included 2,628 graduates -- 54 associate degrees, 1,856 bachelor’s degrees, 493 master’s and specialist degrees, 54 doctoral degrees, 171 undergraduate and graduate certificates. The Class of 2020 by academic college: College of Health and Human Services, 764; College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, 543; Ogden College of Science and Engineering, 481; Potter College of Arts & Letters, 464; and Gordon Ford College of Business, 376.

President Caboni, Provost Cheryl Stevens and Board of Regents Chair Freddie Higdon presided at Friday’s virtual conferral at WKU PBS studios. The ceremony is available on Facebook at https://facebook.com/wkunews and YouTube at https://youtube.com/wkunews. More: #WKUGrad photos; Conferral of Degrees program

ROTC commissioning

The Hilltopper Army ROTC Program commissioned 13 graduates as second lieutenants in an online ceremony Friday afternoon.

Cadets commissioned were (name, hometown, first duty assignment): Robert Barber of Radcliff, assigned to Fort Gordon, Georgia; Michael Bentley of Elizabethtown, assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia; Jacob Cash of Spring Hill, Tennessee, assigned to Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Kenneth Fanchier of Lebanon, Tennessee, assigned to Fort Lee, Virginia; Dakota Hunt of Glasgow, assigned to San Antonio, Texas; David Judd of Louisville, assigned to Fort Rucker, Alabama; Sam Lowe of Mount Washington, assigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky; John Parvin of Elizabethtown, assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia; Luke Sims of Munfordville, assigned to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Tyler Sisco of Fort Campbell, assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado; Benjamin Thornton of Louisville, assigned to Fort Sill, Oklahoma; John Williams of Beechmont, assigned to Vilseck, Germany; and Ethan Wilson of Henderson, assigned to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Recognizing graduates, award recipients

WKU departments and programs have been recognizing their graduates and award recipients online and on social media. Those include the following:

• Ogden College of Science and Engineering
• School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
• School of Nursing
• Exercise Science
• Doctor of Physical Therapy
• School of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport
• College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
• Educational Leadership Doctoral Program
• WKU Army ROTC
• Gordon Ford College of Business
• Department of Economics
• Potter College of Arts & Letters
• Department of History
• Department of Communication
• Department of English
• Department of Modern Languages
• Department of Political Science
• Department of Social Work
• Department of Art
• Department of Music
• Department of Theatre and Dance
• School of Media
• Gender and Women’s Studies
• WKU Online
• WKU Elizabethtown-Fort Knox
• WKU Glasgow
• WKU Owensboro
• WKU Libraries
• The Kentucky Museum
• Mahurin Honors College
• WKU Study Abroad
• International Student and Scholar Services
• WKU Greeks
• WKU National Pan-Hellenic Council
• Student Publications
• Cynthia and George Nichols III Intercultural Student Engagement Center
• WKU Athletics