For Immediate Release

Date:  December 8, 2006

BLOOMSBURG—Nearly 500 students will receive bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 15 and 16, during the university’s winter commencement ceremonies. 

Graduate commencement will occur on Friday, Dec. 15, at 6 p.m. in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall, with BU President Jessica Kozloff as the featured speaker. Master’s degrees will be awarded to 102 students.

Two undergraduate commencement ceremonies will be held Saturday, Dec. 16, also in Mitrani Hall. Commencement for students in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Science and Technology will take place at 10 a.m., with commencement for students in the College of Professional Studies and the College of Business set for 2:30 p.m. Bachelor’s degrees will be granted to 392 students.

Following tradition, BU faculty members will deliver the commencement speech at both undergraduate ceremonies. The speaker for the morning commencement ceremony is DeeAnne Wymer, professor of anthropology. Wymer has taught at Bloomsburg University since 1989 and served as the chair of the anthropology department from 2001 to 2005. The speaker for the afternoon ceremony is Shaheen Awan, professor of audiology and speech pathology. Awan has taught at BU since 1994 and has served as the graduate coordinator for the audiology and speech pathology program since 1996.

Also during the undergraduate ceremonies, the top honor graduates from each college will be recognized. They are: Kim Price, an elementary education major from Muncy Valley, College of Professional Studies; Joseph Sherry, a geoscience major from Winfield, College of Science and Technology; Devon Purington, an English major from Tannersville, College of Liberal Arts; and Jennifer Perott, a business administration and management major from Sellersville, College of Business.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Professional Studies, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology.