MIAA’s Racy to deliver Friday commencement address to 452; List of graduates here

When: 10 a.m., Friday, Dec. 16
Where: UNK Health and Sports Center, 24th Street and 15th Avenue, Kearney
Social Media: Follow @UNKearney and #lopergrad on Twitter to see photos and posts
Live Broadcast: Watch commencement live at unk.edu and join in the #lopergrad conversation at http://unk.edu/eventdashboard

KEARNEY – Undergraduate and graduate degrees for 452 will be conferred at commencement exercises 10 a.m. Friday at University of Nebraska at Kearney.

New MIAA commissioner Mike L. Racy will be the honored guest and commencement speaker for the exercises, with UNK Chancellor Douglas A. Kristensen presiding. UNK Health and Sports Center Arena is the site for the event. Doors to the venue open at 8:30 a.m.

Racy, soon-to-be Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Conference Commissioner, will deliver the address to the graduates. Racy becomes the fifth commissioner in the 105-year history of the MIAA in February 2017, following a national search. A general litigation attorney, Racy has worked for the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a legislative assistant, assistant chief of staff, and vice president for Division II. He later was chief strategy officer and a vice president at University of Central Missouri. A longtime collegiate athletic consultant, Racy earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Washburn University, and his juris doctorate from University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Abbey Rhodes of Kearney is selected to give the senior class reflection. She will receive a Bachelor of Science in business administration with an emphasis in economics and finance, summa cum laude. Rhodes has been in leadership positions in numerous student organizations including president of Enactus. She won the Dean’s Academic Excellence Award, and holds memberships in honoraries Beta Gamma Sigma and Omicron Delta Upsilon.

The Choraleers, directed by UNK Professor of Music, Theater and Dance David Bauer, will perform a pre-commencement concert and processional, “Canzon Duodecimi Toni,” by Giovanni Gabrieli. The national anthem will be sung by Taylor Hubbard of Hastings.

SEATING, PARKING INFO

UNK commencement ceremonies are webcast at www.unk.edu. Find out more details at http://www.unk.edu/about/commencement/index.php

For guests, parking in the west lots is encouraged. Visitors with handicap permits can park east of the Health and Sports Center. Those transporting a handicapped person will have access to drop off the person on the east side of the complex, but will need to move their vehicle to another lot.

Visitors with wheelchairs can sit in the corner seating sections on the main floor or use the elevator in the northeast corner of the building to sit in the designated section on the arena floor. Individuals who have difficulties with steps should arrive at least an hour early to have access to seats just below the railings on the main floor or to obtain seating on the arena floor seats.

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