USI to hold spring 2019 Commencement ceremonies inside new Screaming Eagles Arena

The University of Southern Indiana will hold five Spring Commencement ceremonies over two days, Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 inside the Screaming Eagles Arena on the USI campus.

The Graduate Ceremony for master and doctoral degree candidates from all of USI's colleges will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 26. On Saturday, April 27, the undergraduate ceremony for the College of Liberal Arts will begin at 9 a.m.; the Romain College of Business at noon; the College of Nursing and Health Professions at 3 p.m., and the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education at 6 p.m.

1,691 students are eligible to participate. Of those, 26 graduate summa cum laude, 131 magna cum laude and 142 cum laude. 37 graduates are University Honors Scholars-students who have successfully completed the Honors Program-and can be recognized by the white honor cords worn with their regalia. Members of the graduating Class of 2019 will join the USI Alumni Association, which, following Spring Commencement, will number more than 43,000 alumni across Indiana, the United States and the world.

Speakers at each Commencement ceremony will be USI alumni who have excelled in their professional lives.

Friday, April 27

The speaker for the Graduate Ceremony is USI graduate Dr. Donna M. White, D'16. Prior to obtaining a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from USI, White earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from Culver-Stockton College in 1989; a master's degree in community health administration and wellness promotion from Independence University in 1996; and a master's degree in nursing education from American Sentinel University in 2012. 

Also at the Graduate Ceremony, honorary Doctor of Laws degrees will be presented to Linda L. M. Bennett, USI president emerita and active civic leader who retired in 2018 after nine years as president and six years as provost;  to Stephen E. Bennett, retired professor of political science and author, for his dedication to higher education and 15 years of service to USI; and to Betty J. Worthington for her years of service to the USI/New Harmony Foundation Board and support of the arts, New Harmony and the University.

Saturday, April 28

Amy L. Beard '09 is the commencement speaker for the College of Liberal Arts. While attending USI, Beard earned bachelor's degrees in economics and Spanish, with a minor in international studies as a University Honors Scholar and served as student body president. Beard earned her Juris Doctor from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 2013. Also at the College of Liberal Arts ceremony, Riley K. Cornett will receive the President's Medal, the highest honor the University presents to a graduate. Cornett, a native of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, is graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in communication studies and has served as a strong ambassador for higher education and for the University in her time as a student leader. 

The Honorable Wayne S. Trockman '81 will be the commencement speaker for the Romain College of Business. An Evansville native, Trockman graduated from Harrison High School and earned a bachelor's degree in business from USI and his Juris Doctor from Indiana University in 1984.

The Commencement speaker for the College of Nursing and Health Professions is Dr. Stanley J. Tretter, M'17. Tretter earned a bachelor's degree summa cum laude in biology from Wabash College, a doctorate in medicine from Indiana University with a residency in family practice from Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, and a Masters of Health Administration degree from USI.

The speaker for the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education Commencement ceremony is B. J. Watts '01. Watts earned his bachelor's degree in education from USI, where he was a member of the men's basketball team, and a master's degree in education from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2013.

Guests are not required to have tickets for the Spring 2019 Commencement ceremonies but graduates must make a reservation to participate in the ceremony. All planning to attend are strongly advised to review the Screaming Eagles Arena Prohibited Items and Security Policy at USI.edu/arena-security. Once capacity within the Arena is met, attendees will be directed to the University Center East Conference Center, where a livestream of the ceremonies will be shown. Graduates and their guests are invited to a reception following each ceremony in University Center East, sponsored by the USI Alumni Association.

For more information about all ceremonies, as well as links to other Commencement information, go to USI.edu/commencement.