WHAT: UNK Spring Commencement
WHEN: 10 a.m. Friday, May 19
WHERE: UNK Health and Sports Center
SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow @UNKearney on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to see photos and posts
LIVE BROADCAST: Watch commencement live at http://unk.edu/eventdashboard
VIEW THE FULL LIST OF SPRING GRADUATES
KEARNEY – The University of Nebraska at Kearney will host its spring commencement 10 a.m. Friday at the Health and Sports Center on campus.
Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Kristen Majocha will confer degrees for 667 graduate and undergraduate students during the ceremony and deliver the closing remarks. Chancellor Doug Kristensen will provide the welcome address and present the Ron and Carol Cope Cornerstone of Excellence Award to longtime UNK and University of Nebraska System supporters Carey and Brian Hamilton.
The commencement speaker is Dr. Brad Bohn, an assistant professor of family medicine and consultant in the Department of Family Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Bohn earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from UNK in 2006 before completing medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He served as student regent at both UNK and UNMC and was a member of the Loper football team.
The Ravenna High School graduate also serves as a lieutenant colonel and deputy chief of aerospace medicine in the Minnesota Air National Guard. He and his wife Sarah, a two-time UNK graduate, have four children, ages 1 to 10.
The student speaker is Mason Casper of Kearney, who graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology with a health science emphasis. He’ll attend medical school at UNMC in Omaha.
Casper was part of the Kearney Health Opportunities Program, Chancellor’s Ambassadors, Greeks Advocating for Healthy Lifestyles and Phi Delta Theta, serving as the fraternity’s interim president, vice president and treasurer. He was also president of the Interfraternity Council and a resident assistant, assistant hall coordinator and floor president for UNK Residence Life.
His awards and honors include Phi Delta Theta New Member of the Year (2019) and Member of the Year (2020), Resident Assistant of the Year (2022), UNK Greek Man of the Year (2023) and the Mary Jane and William R. Nester Student Leadership Award (2023).
NU System President Ted Carter and Board of Regents Chairman Tim Clare will also address the graduates. The national anthem will be performed by Oscar Erives of Grand Island, who graduates magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in music performance.
Those who are unable to attend in person may watch the ceremony via livestream on UNK’s website. A recording can also be viewed later on the website.
PARKING INFO
Commencement attendees are encouraged to park in the lots west of the Health and Sports Center. 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 individual 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 of the Health and Sports Center or use the elevator in the northeast corner of the building to sit in the designated section on the arena floor.
Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
