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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