Drake University will hold its 147th commencement ceremony Saturday, Dec. 14, to celebrate the accomplishments of more than 300 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students who completed their degree requirements at the conclusion of the fall 2019 semester.
The commencement ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in Drake University’s Knapp Center, 2525 Forest Ave. The public is invited to attend and celebrate the students’ achievements.
The ceremony will feature remarks from Janet McMahill, dean of the Drake University School of Education, who will retire as dean as of Dec. 31 following 32 years of service to the University. McMahill earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Science in education degrees from Drake University and her doctorate in industrial education from Iowa State University.
Also speaking at the ceremony will be graduating senior Samantha Bayne of Chesterfield, Mo., who is receiving a bachelor’s degree with a double major in politics and law, politics, and society. During her time at Drake, Bayne has served on Drake University’s Student Senate, Community Action Board, the Iowa Caucus Project, Mentors for Violence Prevention, Student Equity Action Partners, and Active Minds.
Drake University will stream the ceremony at live.drake.edu. Free parking is available in campus lots during the ceremony. View more information, including directions to campus, on the Registrar’s web page. The University encourages attendees to share their commencement story on social media by tagging @DrakeUniversity or using the hashtag #Drake2019.
The fall 2019 graduates join a network of more than 75,000 Drake alumni around the world.