USI College of Liberal Arts Commencement will be held Saturday, May 4

The University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts will hold Commencement at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, in the Physical Activities Center (PAC) on the USI campus. Michael Aakhus, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and faculty from the College will join members of the USI Board of Trustees, USI President Linda L. M. Bennett,and other officers of the University for the evening program.

Dr. Paul Ramsey will deliver the Commencement address to the graduates. He graduated summa cum laude from USI in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and German. He is an assistant professor of education at Eastern Michigan University, where he was recently recognized with a Distinguished Faculty Award for his research on the history of American education and bilingual public schooling. He earned his master's degree and a doctorate in the history of education at Indiana University.

Ramsey will receive the David L. Rice Alumni Achievement Award in recognition of his positive impact on the field of academia. The award, a crystal soaring eagle representing the University mascot, personifies the vision held by USI's first president,Dr. David L. Rice, of the potential of graduates from the University of Southern Indiana.

Ashley Hilton will receive the President's Medal, the highest award given to a graduate. She is a first-generation college student who is graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Social Work degree. She is part of the University Honors Program and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi. She has completed extensive hours volunteering and as an unpaid intern at USI Center for Social Justice, Destination Home, St. Vincent's Center for Children and Families, Center for Courageous Kids camp, Potter's Wheel Soup Kitchen, and Boys and Girls Club. In the future, she wants to work with an international non-government organization that advocates for the equality of women and girls in developing countries.

An honorary degree will be presented to John W. Streetman III, director emeritus of the Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science who will be retiring this spring after serving nearly 38 years in the leadership role. He was instrumental in bridging relationships between USI faculty and students and the museum.  He encouraged local art patrons' interest in public higher education by introducing many of them to faculty and students at USI.  He has recommended USI faculty for board leadership positions at local, state, and national cultural and educational organizations, and he has given leadership to the University of Southern Indiana's Society for the Arts and Humanities. He was also involved with the preservation efforts of Historic New Harmony before USI was given a leadership position there. Streetman will be presented with the Doctor of Humanities degree. An honorary degree from USI is the highest form of recognition granted by the institution. Individuals selected to receive an honorary degree exemplify the highest ideals of integrity, service, and dedication to learning.

Baccalaureate degree candidates from the College of Liberal Arts who are graduating with honors include the following:

Summa cum laude, highest scholarship index of 4.0 (wearing gold cords)

Hilton, Ashley R.**
Lemp, Sarah E.
Lewis, Kellie J.
Mathew, Ian T.
Wolfe, Kelsey J.**

Magna cum laude, scholarship index of 3.80 or higher (wearing red cords)

Atkinson, Anastasia
Barber, Chelsea R.
Beard, Shannon R.**
Bell, Ryan Z.
Boren, Charly R.
Burch, Jenna M.
Cearfoss, Rebecca S.
Christianson, Ashley J.
Creek, Abby J.
Daugherty, Victoria A.**
David, Vanessa L.
Dimaggio, Francesca M.
DuPont, Hannah M.
Durchholz, Emily J.
Gideon, Jazmyn N.**
Graber, Morgyn L.
Head, Rileigh M.**
Hill, BriAnn M.
Huber, Megan S.
Jones, Serena A.
Knight, Ashlee M.
Lorenzo, Jordan C.
Okray, Michael A.
Prickett, Megan M.
Roos, Shayna L.
Schitter, Valerie A.
Schlumpf, Zachary W.
Seibert, Christopher S.
Sherfield, Rachel R.
Sherman, Brooke A.
Shipman, Amie N.**
Tsaparikos, Alissa D.**
Webster, Kaitlyn M.

Cum laude, scholarship index between 3.6 and 3.8 (wearing blue cords)

Abell, Lydia K.
Ball, Courtney C.
Berrios, Cesar D.
Blue, Jared M.
Branson, Kalen W.
Butler, Loryn A.
Byer, Walker E.
Conkling, Kasey L.
Craig, Jennifer A.
Crane, Kaitlin M.
Dahlquist, Maxwell P.
Devries, Amy L.
Dimmett, Kristen N.
Elliott, Candace
Heffington, Casey G.
Hobson, Melissa A.**
Howard, Elliot M.
Johnson, Bryan S.
Kassinger, Neil P.
Keneipp, Kurt W.
Lambert, Kayla R.
Lowe, Ian D.
Lyczak, Laura K.
Lyon, Elizabeth A.
Mandley, Celeste R.**
Martinez, David T.
Masterson, Jordan L.
McCreary, Denise R.
Muench, Keely L.
Numa, Loussa
Painter, Wendy R.**
Persinger, Brent W.
Poormokhtar, Cassandra N.
Privott, Amanda S.**
Riesen, Cory A.
Ruthenburg, Kathryn C.
Stokes, Melissa A.
Sureck, John G.
Tworek, Isaiah D.
Uebelhor, Austin K.**
Weir, Whitney F.
Williams, Lacey L.

Asterisks indicate students who will graduate from USI's Honors Program, a demanding and rewarding program for selected students who take on extra challenges in their course work.

Guests of graduates participating in the College of Liberal Arts ceremony will need tickets. Students can reserve tickets through noon, Friday, April 12. For more information, go to www.usi.edu/commencement.

A reception for the graduates and their friends and families will follow the ceremony and will be held in the University Center East.

Three other Colleges at USI will conduct Commencement on May 4 according to this schedule:

Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education, 9 a.m.
College of Nursing and Health Professions, noon
Romain College of Business and Division of Outreach and Engagement, 3 p.m.

A commencement ceremony for graduate students will be held at 6:30 p.m. on May 3 in the PAC.

Live video of each ceremony will be streamed in University Center East Conference Center (Rooms 2217-2220). The ceremonies also may be viewed online here.