More than 350 graduates will receive diplomas at Wartburg College’s 162nd Spring Commencement Sunday, May 25.
Commencement will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Hoover Fieldhouse & Track in the Wartburg-Waverly Sports & Wellness Center. It is free and open to the community. A reception for graduates, their families and friends will follow.
Wartburg expects 351 graduates — representing 20 states and 13 countries — to participate in the ceremony, with another 10 diplomas to be awarded through August. Fifty members of the Class of 2014 graduated in December.
The student speaker will be Derek Norton, a biochemistry major from Prior Lake, Minnesota, and a Dean’s Honor Cord recipient with one of the top 40 cumulative GPAs in his class. He was inducted into three national honor societies, participated in science research projects, sang in the Ritterchor (men’s) and Kantorei (chapel) choirs, and was a founding member of the rugby club.
Joe Link, who teaches language arts, speech and theater arts-related courses at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, and Tanya Lemburg, a life sciences teacher at Williamsburg High School, will be honored as outstanding high school teachers. Members of the Class of 2014 nominated them for significantly influencing their education.
The academic procession, led by faculty marshals Dr. Todd Reiher, professor of psychology, and Dr. Ann Henninger, professor of biology and chair of the Department of Biology, will begin the Commencement ceremony.
International students bearing the flags of their countries, emeriti faculty, current faculty members, the graduating class and platform party will join the procession.
Commencement Weekend events that are free and open to the public include:
- Senior Art Exhibit — 9 a.m.-5 p.m., daily, Waldemar A. Schmidt Art Gallery, Bachman Fine Arts Center.
- May Term Band Concert — Saturday, May 24, 6:30 p.m., South Campus Mall (rain site is Neumann Auditorium).
- Baccalaureate — The Rev. Sherman Hicks, Wartburg regent and executive director of Multicultural Ministries for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will preach, Sunday, May 25, 10 a.m., Neumann Auditorium.
- Pre-Commencement Concert — May Term Band, Sunday, May 25, 1 p.m., Hoover Fieldhouse & Track.