Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University conferred 444 master’s and 13 specialist degrees Friday night in the graduate ceremony of its 159th Commencement.

Corey T. Alderdice of Bowling Green received the John D. Minton Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions by a graduate student and is named for a longtime administrator and the University’s fifth president.

Alderdice, who received a master’s degree in English, has excelled in English, gifted studies and forensics at WKU. “Corey is an outstanding scholar and contributing member of the Western Kentucky University family,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “He is creative, responsible and committed to excellence.”

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

*Rachel N. Waford of Bowling Green, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. Waford received her master’s in experimental psychology and plans to pursue doctoral work in forensic/clinical psychology.

*Serena M. Britt of Bowling Green, College of Health and Human Services. Britt received her master’s in social work and plans to be a middle school social worker and has plans for doctoral work.

*Millie Mathew of Al-Khobar, India, Gordon Ford College of Business. Mathew received her master of business administration degree and is employed by Leadership Strategies Group in Bowling Green.

*Scott R. Schoefernacker of Cordova, Tenn., Ogden College of Science and Engineering. Schoefernacker received his master’s in geoscience and is working as a geologist at Ensafe, Inc., in Memphis, Tenn.

*Phillip D. Shaw of Bowling Green, Potter College of Arts and Letters. Shaw received his master’s in history and plans to pursue doctoral studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Provost Barbara Burch also recognized the following graduate faculty who are retiring or taking optional retirement: Dr. Mary O’Phelan, Department of Educational Administration, Leadership and Research; Dr. Sue Bryant and Dr. Shala Wilson, both of the Department of Nursing; and Dr. Elmer Gray, Department of Agriculture and longtime dean of Graduate Studies.

Dr. Burch also recognized the following faculty award winners, who will be formally honored at the fall faculty convocation: Dr. Mark Cambron, Department of Engineering, excellence in teaching; Dr. Rezaul Mahmood, Department of Geography and Geology, excellence in research/creativity; Chad Stevens, School of Journalism and Broadcasting, excellence in public service; and Dr. Vernon Sheeley, Department of Counseling and Student Affairs, excellence in student advising.

As part of the ceremony, each graduate degree recipient was hooded by departmental faculty.
Another 1,797 students will receive associate and baccalaureate degrees Saturday night during the undergraduate ceremony at WKU’s L.T. Smith Stadium.

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.

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