May 12, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Members of Western Kentucky University’s Class of 1957 were honored Saturday as WKU recognized the Class of 2007.
The newest members of the Golden Anniversary Club returned to campus for a weekend reunion and wore caps and gowns as they marched in the morning commencement ceremony’s processional at Diddle Arena.
“These individuals can attest that this day marks not only the completion of a college degree, but it also marks the beginning of a great journey with new opportunities, exciting challenges and memories that will last a lifetime,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said.
“And to the Class of 2007, you too will have the same opportunity to come back to this great institution in 2057 – mark that on your calendar now – for your 50th anniversary.”
As part of its 161st Commencement, WKU also honored top students and recognized faculty award winners during morning and afternoon ceremonies.
WKU conferred degrees to a record spring total of 1,817 students (129 associate’s, 1,359 baccalaureate, 320 master’s and nine specialist) who are completing their programs this spring. The University also recognized several hundred more students who will complete their degrees during the summer term.
Congressman’s daughter graduates
U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis was a platform guest for the morning ceremony. Lewis, who represents Kentucky’s 2nd District, was more than a congressman on Saturday. He was the proud father of new WKU graduate Allison F. Lewis, a management major from Cecilia.
Ogden Foundation Scholar
Leigh Anne Roden, a communication disorders major from Summer Shade, was recognized as the Ogden Foundation Scholar and as scholar of the College of Health and Human Services.
Roden, the daughter of William Roden and Elaine Marcello, will start a new job as an Itinerate Speech Language Pathologist in the Barren County School system and plans to complete a master’s degree in communication disorders at WKU.
The top academic award is presented to one graduating baccalaureate degree senior who has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and outstanding university and civic engagement.
Honor graduates
WKU recognized 30 other Scholars of the College, who had the highest GPAs in their colleges while completing at least 64 credit hours at WKU.
Recipients by college are as follows (three students with double majors were honored as scholars in two colleges):
University College: Amanda Cosby of Bowling Green, an interdisciplinary studies major and daughter of Danny and Glenda Cosby; Joanna Miller of Bowling Green, an area study in Honors and anthropology major and daughter of Joseph and Sandy Miller.
Gordon Ford College of Business: Stefanie Eaton of Monticello, a management major and daughter of David and Elsie Eaton; Senad Zlatovic of Bowling Green, an economics, political science and German major and son of Ibrahim and Sakiba Zlatovic.
Potter College of Arts & Letters: Douglas Ayers of Bowling Green, a Spanish and computer science major and son of Craig and Sara Ayers; Charlene Beall of Nashville, Tenn., a history and Spanish major and daughter of Robert and Leslie Beall; Laura Crook of Corbin, an English and allied language arts major and daughter of Dallas and Vikki Crook; Blake Jones of Dickson, Tenn., a social studies and history major and son of Jerry and Janet Jones; Ruby Lewis of Shelbyville, a performing arts major and daughter of Tommie and Eve Lewis; Joanna Miller, an anthropology and area study in Honors major and daughter of Joseph and Sandy Miller; Lindsay Singleton of Franklin, Tenn., a sociology major and daughter of Ronnie and Carol Singleton; Vicki Thompson of Bowling Green, a music major and daughter of Stewart and Jean Thompson; Stephanie Wade of Indianapolis, a Spanish and political science major and daughter of Gregory and Dorothy Wade; Senad Zlatovic of Bowling Green, a political science, German and economics major and son of Ibrahim and Sakiba Zlatovic.
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences: Cecilia Burch of Whitesville, an elementary education major and daughter of Tony and Charlotte Burch; Heather Slinker of Knob Lick, a middle grades education major and daughter of Greg and Cheryl Slinker; Courtney Truelove of Morgantown, an elementary education major and daughter of Iris and the late Mike Truelove.
Ogden College of Science and Engineering: Douglas Ayers of Bowling Green, a computer science and Spanish major and son of Craig and Sara Ayers; Kurt Dryden of White House, Tenn., an agriculture major and son of Jim and Deena Dryden; Ryan Farris of Marion, Ill., a mechanical engineering major and son of Jim and Robin Farris; Steven Ford of Lexington, a chemistry major and husband of Kara Desper Ford and son of Leonard and Kathy Ford of Cromwell; Jennifer Hohn of Bowling Green, a mathematics major and daughter of Charles Hohn and Jackie Brim; Belinda Lady of Bowling Green, a chemistry major and daughter of Ollie and Faye Lady; Kristi Pierce of Glasgow, a chemistry major and daughter of Lynne Kerry Pierce of Glasgow and Anthony and Mildred Pierce of Elizabethtown; Brooke Polen of Bowling Green, a biology major and daughter of Brad and Betty Polen; Jordan Shaw of Louisville, a chemistry major and son of Rollin and Linda Shaw.
College of Health and Human Services: Megan Brotherton of Bowling Green, a nursing major and daughter of Tim and Susan Brotherton; Sarah Czyz of Franklin, Tenn., a physical education major and daughter of Robert and Peggy Czyz; Sheila Flewallen of Russellville, a nursing major and wife of Ritchie Flewallen and daughter of Joyce Head and the late Kenneth Ray Spain; Margo Hancock of Columbia, a nursing major and wife of Ronnie Hancock; Michele Heilers of Owensboro, a family and consumer sciences major and daughter of Tom and Karen Heilers; Stacy Hockett of Thompsons Station, Tenn., a health care administration major and daughter of Steve and Jenny Hockett; Amanda McKinney of Leitchfield, a communication disorders major and daughter of Ricky and Janice McKinney.
Faculty award winners
Provost Barbara Burch recognized the following faculty award winners, who will be formally honored at the fall faculty convocation: Dr. Andrew Wulff, Department of Geography and Geology, excellence in teaching; Dr. Jeffrey Samuels, Department of Philosophy and Religion, excellence in research/creativity; Dr. Richard Gelderman, Department of Physics and Astronomy, excellence in public service; and Dawn Hall, Bowling Green Community College’s Academic Support Division, excellence in student advising.
Military commissioning
Members of the Hilltopper Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. They were: Joshua Bosley of Owensboro; Robert Cowan of Bowling Green; Adam Evans of Monticello; Travis Ford of Clarksville, Tenn.; Edwin Hocker of Bowling Green; Daniel Jarvis of Bowling Green; Matthew Norris of Bowling Green; Annalisa Suarez of Vine Grove; Emily Suiter of Odessa, Fla.; Griffin Valdes of Columbus, Ind.; Christopher West of Shepherdsville.
Karen Northey-Robinson of Bowling Green was commissioned as a U.S. Air Force officer.
Other commencement notes
Graduates from the Potter College of Arts & Letters, Gordon Ford College of Business, Bowling Green Community College and University College were recognized in the morning ceremony while graduates of the College of Health and Human Services, Ogden College of Science and Engineering and College of Education and Behavioral Sciences were recognized in the afternoon ceremony.
The spring commencement ceremonies were divided and held in Diddle Arena because of construction and renovation under way at Smith Stadium. A ceremony for graduate students was held Friday night.
Flags from 18 countries were carried in the undergraduate processional and flags from 12 countries were carried in the graduate processional to represent the 119 graduates in the Class of 2007 from those nations.
All three ceremonies were broadcast live on WKYU-PBS, WKU’s Public Television, and through a webcast online.
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 Registrar at (270) 745-3351.
-WKU-
"A leading American university with international reach"
Office of Media Relations
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd., Bowling Green, Ky. 42101-3576
Phone: (270)745-4295 - Fax: (270)7455387 - E-Mail: western@wku.edu