WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Dec. 4, 2015 — West Liberty University will hold its Fall 2015 Commencement Ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12, in the Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex (ASRC) as it celebrates student achievement and welcomes families and friends. One hundred and seventy-two students are expected to complete graduation requirements during the fall semester.
Interim President Dr. John McCullough will confer the degrees.
“We are extremely proud of our students and wish them all the best on this important day. The entire campus community celebrates with them, their families and friends. We also welcome all our honored guests and alumni as we congratulate the Class of 2015,” McCullough said.
McCullough has presided as either interim president or provost at 32 commencement ceremonies and will soon retire after 45 years of service to the university,
Commencement speakers will be two brothers who are active alumni, Dr. Daniel Joseph and Brian Joseph, both of Wheeling.
Dan Joseph serves on the WLU Foundation Board of Directors and formerly served as a member of the Board of Governors. He is a Wheeling orthodontist and he and his wife Debbie, are founders of the annual Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta.
Brian Joseph serves on WLU’s Board of Governors and is the president and chief executive officer of Touchstone Research Laboratory, located in Triadelphia.
Graduating student speaker is Zachary Novel of New Martinsville, W.Va. A business major, specializing in accounting, he is the highest-ranking student from the Gary E. West College of Business and a member of Delta Mu Delta, where he served as president this semester.
He also is employed at LM Consulting in New Martinsville as a staff accountant handling the JC Mensore Distributor, Inc. account, a position he’s held for three years. His post-commencement plans include taking the CPA exam in 2016. Novel is married and he and his wife, Jayme, have two children, Riley, 6 and Isaac, 2.
The Commencement Ceremony will be televised live on WLU Television Comcast Channel 14 and streamed online at WLtvonline.com.
A reception for graduates, guests and families will be held in the College Union immediately following the ceremony.
Doors will open for seating at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are not required. Parking will be available for guests behind the ASRC.
West Liberty University is a forward-looking, four-year public university steeped in a rich heritage as West Virginia’s oldest institution of higher education. Five colleges and a School of Professional Studies offer more than 60 majors and 30 programs that are nationally recognized or accredited. Graduate programs include the Master of Arts in Education, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and the Master of Professional Studies degrees.
For more information on WLU, please call 1.866.WESTLIB or visit westliberty.edu.