Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) will confer 294 degrees at the 47th annual commencement celebration.
The Class of 2017 will receive degrees in business, business administration, education, general studies, communication studies, English, sociology, mechanical engineering, nursing, biology, psychology, and mental health counseling.
Vice Chancellor and Dean Reinhold Hill will present the graduating class on Saturday, May 13 at 2 p.m., at Columbus East High School.
“We congratulate and thank the students for their accomplishment and hard work and the faculty and staff for guiding them on their path to success,” said Hill.
Commencement Speakers
Jordon Jones, from Seymour and president of the Student Government Association, will welcome the Class of 2017 and attendees to the commencement celebration. Jones is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business.
Mikala Greenlee, from Hope, will address the Class of 2017 as the student speaker. Greenlee was named Chancellor’s Scholar for her academic excellence in the classroom and is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business with concentrations in finance and management. As an active member of the student body, she has held positions as an early college program mentor, co-president of the student ambassador program, orientation leader, Bridge mentor, and peer mentor. She spent four weeks in Athens, Greece studying the intersection of business and society, through the lens of business ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder management at the American College of Greece. She was also the recipient of the Anthony Moravec Scholarship in August 2014.
The commencement address will be given by Tony Moravec, president and chief executive officer of Blairex Laboratories, Inc. in Columbus, Indiana, president and co-founder of Applied Laboratories, Inc., owner of Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum, and a principal in the Upland Brewing Company of Bloomington, Indiana.
Moravec earned his Bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University and received an honorary degree from Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana in 2012. In 2009, he received the Company of the Year award from the Columbus Chamber of Commerce for his renovation and restoration of Zaharakos. In 2011, Moravec received the Indiana University Bloomington Provost’s Medal. And, in 2016, he was honored by receiving the Presidents Circle Laurel Pin and the Partners in Philanthropy Cornerstone Award from Indiana University.
Moravec donated his personal collection of the works of Old Master drawings, including a series of scenes from the New Testament, to the IU Eskenazi Art Museum, making it the third largest repository of such drawings in the world. In addition to supporting the museum’s collections, his generosity led to the IU Eskenazi Art Museum becoming the first university museum in the Big Ten to receive an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation endowment for a senior academic officer position in 2012.
Moravec has established scholarships at the Heritage Fund of Bartholomew County, Inc., Indiana University, and Ivy Tech Community College. He is a board member of the National Advisory Board of the IU Eskenazi Art Museum and the Ivy Tech Foundation.
Commencement Information
Commencement is open to the public. Doors will open for graduates and guests 60 minutes before the ceremony. Guests are encouraged to arrive early enough to find parking and a seat.
When: Saturday, May 13 at 2 p.m.
Where: Columbus East High School, 230 S Marr Rd, Columbus, IN
Graduates and their families are invited to a reception immediately following the ceremony. They may also celebrate at the Grad Bash, at 5 p.m. Friday, May 12, on the Serengeti at IUPUC. The event is free and also open to alumni. Those planning to attend should RSVP to Cindy Felsten at cfelsten@iupuc.edu.
For more information, go to graduation.iupuc.edu.