2024 Fall Commencement Program

University of Wisconsin-River Falls

December Fourteenth Two Thousand and Twenty-Four

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2024 Page Arena at Falcon Center PRELUDE Commencement Prelude PROCESSIONAL* “Pomp and Circumstance” by Edward Elgar Charles Corcoran, Ph.D., Professor, Accounting and Finance, Faculty Marshal CALL TO ORDER Wes Chapin, Ph.D., Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs ANTHEM* “The Star Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key Tyler Holmes, Soloist, Graduating Senior, Music and Psychology WELCOME Mike Martin, Ph.D., Chancellor KEYNOTE SPEAKER David Bonko, MBA, Associate Professor, Marketing Communications PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES** Michael Orth, Ph.D., Dean, College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences Wesley Kisting, Ph.D., Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Muhammad Chishty, Ph.D., Dean, College of Education, Business and Allied Health Caroline Baker, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies READERS Grace Coggio, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies CONFERRING OF DEGREES Mike Martin, Ph.D., Chancellor WELCOME INTO THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Blane Huppert, UWRF Alumni Advisory Board President RECESSIONAL* Variety of musical selections *Audience standing **The audience is asked to please withhold applause until diplomas have been distributed to each college.

Some positions are currently held by interim leaders.

STAGE PARTY Mike Martin, Ph.D., Chancellor Wes Chapin, Ph.D., Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Muhammad Chishty, Ph.D., Dean, College of Education, Business and Allied Health Michael Orth, Ph.D., Dean, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Wesley Kisting, Ph.D., Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Caroline Baker, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies Tyler Holmes, Soloist, Graduating Senior, Music and Psychology Blane Huppert, UWRF Alumni Advisory Board President Charles Corcoran, Ph.D., Professor, Accounting and Finance, Faculty Marshal David Bonko, MBA, Associate Professor of Marketing Communications, Keynote Speaker

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COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Michael Orth, Ph.D., Dean

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS Lydia Mae Barr Grace Ann Hilton Luke Julson * Bailey Ryan Keck Megan Nicole Krueger Marie Kathryn Prodell * Joseph David Rom * Amber Walter * Kayla Worm

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION Jeremiah Raymond Ihm ** Jonathan Coty Landsverk Hannah Pitzen ****

ANIMAL SCIENCE

Alexandria Athey Victoria Lynn Buss LAUREN CORBIN ** EMILY MARGARET DAHLKE Amelia Dickie Alyssa Susan Duffy ** Haley Christine Estlund Julia Marie Goyke Sophia Christine Hale *** Haley Hoyer

CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

EMMA MARIE JOECKS **** Halle Johnson Jenna Kelley **** Caitlyn Marie Keyes ** Kaitlin Alexa Knaebe Whitney Marie Kuehl Paige Livingston Madison Kaylee Lutzow Ashley Marie Manders Abigail Anne Miller Kendel Noel MEGAN ANITA PARKER * Marie Kathryn Prodell * Brooke Ann Purrier Zoe Rademacher Heather Lynn Redenius Danielle Renee Rustand Rachel Sanford * Abigail Irene Simon Anna Rose Theel Janna Lynn Thoma * Emma Christine Wayne Gabrielle Irene Lavina Wellnitz Kayla Xiong

Hailey Sutton *

CAYLA DEANNE BINGHAM ** Kayla Jean Burns Ellie Marie Gruber ABIGAIL LILLIAN HILL * Jacob Hunter Jensen Eh Eh Paung * Kaitlin Ramirez Andrew Joshua Steiger

HORTICULTURE

CROP AND SOIL SCIENCE

Kristin Abney * Ann Margaret Sanchez *

Megan Culpitt **** Tucker Schultz

DAIRY SCIENCE

Conrad David Gingg * Lindsay Martina Mikle ** Joseph Schuh *

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Garrett Orville Eddy Rames Joseph Frisch

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Coleman Clawson Dylan Cooper * Jacob Michael Petronack Elayna Stirn *** Analise Jone Wolkerstorfer *

SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Wesley Kisting, Ph.D., Dean

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS

Yafet A Amde * Bryce Allen Anderson Logan Paul-Patrick Appert Abenezer Yegezu Bekele Tylor Lee Bowell Yoonseo Choi Gregory James Demko *** Joseph Matthew Fellrath Randy Richard Franzmeier **** Matthew David Gallion Nick Matthew Gates Garret Lee Hildebrandt Martha Elizabeth Kelzer Aaliyah Kurrelmeyer * Ian Joseph McNiesh Jordan James Opsahl Beau Quentin Oster Connor Fitzgerald Price * Benjamin Rex Slipka Anthany Toum Colton John Williams

Abigail Anne Eilitz

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Izabella Dixon

Abigail Mae Hutchinson

ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE Meagan Catherine Kutzler

BACHELOR OF APPLIED SCIENCE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE Shaine Francis Conway

CRIMINOLOGY Grace Elizabeth Aerts Faith Rose Benzi ** Noah Steven Kadela Bailey Alexandra Kohnen * LUCIA MARQUEZ ** Jessica May Pangburn Anthony James Frank Rohaley Kaiden Phillips Sell

BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS Erin Cockroft **** Masen Michael Danke Miranda Johnson ****

Piper Ann Richter * Andreyah Shackle ***

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE BIOLOGY

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Andrew Balint Connor Troy Drahos Clarissa Marie Driscoll Tahmara Nicole Hendrickson **** Peter Hetherington Anne Elizabeth Kemper Kaden Michael Knox Olivia Jean Myers Kaitlynn Leigh Thiel Bria Vannatta **** Evan Casper Zachow ****

Devin Barry McDaniels * Alexander Odelin Peralta Rojas Jacob Michael Petronack Tiana Elle Tran

BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCE

Ahnna Joy Chabot Shelby Sue Dolly *** Hailey Joy Durow Sophia Mae Heiberg **** Katarinna Jean Johnson Koltin Lee Pask Megan Elizabeth Ramberg * Greta Suzann Van Guilder Kayla Valerie Wold *

Grace Boles **** MacKenzie Ann Dean Amaya Danielle Hill Kennan Michael Hottinger Alexis Marie Hunter * Caleb Lefevre Tayla Jean Lundberg Bailey Louise Schlough Christie Twehdee-Dalesu Tabla Kittikhun Yangchayutabhong *

DATA SCIENCE Andrew Brian Flatz *** Joseph Robert Stanek *

ENGLISH Gracie Margaret Gregoire Summer Hannah Jacobson Fahey Madaline Mae Oehmke Cassie Wang ****

CHEMISTRY Hailey Jo Beilke ** Lauren E Flynn Benjamin Thomas Hollister ** Eric Karl Spielberger

GEOGRAPHY Joseph Matthew Fellrath

HISTORY

COMMUNICATION STUDIES

Ryan Michael Larson Shoki Nakagawara Tayler Ann-Marie Olson * Hunter Waylynn Panoch **** Carol Xiong

JOURNALISM Joshua Brauer ***

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Alex Hansen Bohacek *** Ahnna Joy Chabot Shelby Sue Dolly ***

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Hailey Joy Durow Stetler Harms Sophia Mae Heiberg **** Andrea Lynn Kaiser *** Hiroya Kawazoe Mei Motomura Tiffinni Rose Pawlak Megan Elizabeth Ramberg * Elise M Truman * Kayla Valerie Wold *

MATHEMATICS Samantha Lynn Braunlich Andrew Brian Flatz *** Austin Dean Fox * MODERN LANGUAGE Erin Cockroft **** LILY KAYE SULLIVAN ***

MUSIC Tyler Scott Holmes Kylie Brynn Hutmacher **** Margaret Wallin ****

NEUROSCIENCE Maddie Paige Ridgeway Dylan Wesley Wittek

PHYSICS Tylor Lee Bowell Isaiah Kenneth Bryn * Ben Lee Neuffer Jonathan Gregory Parham

POLITICAL SCIENCE Joshua Brauer *** Dylan Martinez **** Aliviah Ray McClinton *

PSYCHOLOGY Grace Elizabeth Aerts Heather Marie Akey Tyler Scott Holmes Makayla Lynn Kaphing Jaden Kolker LUCIA MARQUEZ ** Grace Taylor Ochs Jessica May Pangburn Sarah Jolie Purdy ** Maddie Paige Ridgeway Brenna Nicole Schreiber Natalie JoMarie Shadow

SOCIOLOGY Bailey Alexandra Kohnen * LillyAnn Lynn Niewind *

STAGE AND SCREEN ARTS Zoe Elinor Palmer Hunter Waylynn Panoch **** Collin Thomas Simone Margaret Wallin ****

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, BUSINESS AND ALLIED HEALTH Muhammad Chishty, Ph.D., Dean

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE ACCOUNTING Ethan Jode Greene ** Jalen Michael Hetrick Michael Nicholas-Soulio Kangbateh Logan Gerald Schrupp ****

COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS

HEALTH AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE

Kourtney Immerfall ** ALEXIS KIMBALL **** Allie Kaitlyn Lunke **** Renee Kay Rudi *

Charles C Harpole Hannah Christine Havemeier Jack Thomas Jensen Braxtyn Paul Leen * Mason Charles Poehls * Renee Kay Rudi * Madyson Shew * Alex Carl VanGundy Lucas Jamison Warren * Duke James Waxberg *

ART

EARLY CHILDHOOD

KILAH KENNEDY **** Piper Ann Richter *

Megan Graber * Xee Lor * EMILY JEAN MILZ ****

BROAD FIELD SOCIAL STUDIES

ECONOMICS

Samuel Goldman Gray *** Olivia Ann Husom * Samuel Glee Peters *** Nathan Daniel Riniker **

John Nicholas Condon John Michael Fritzke Eric Bruce Mosher

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

McKenzie Mae Coyle Caitlyn Fitzgerald * Madilyn Grace Gieske *** Lauryn Kathryne Gosso ** Anika Marie Hancock * Rylee Kate Henjum * Emilia Mae Krueger * Caillie Pauline Lowthian **** Carissa Lynn Nelson ** Sydney Marie Nenn * Madalyn Mae Nichols **** Alexis Jane Ringler * Allison Marie Rosenquist * Mya Ruesch * Hannah Simon ** MICHAELA JAELYNN STIMSON * Payton Trombley Sophie Christine Ulman ** Gabriela M Walrath * Jaci Lou Williams *

Ashley Marie Arneson Konnor Shawn Aufenthie Rachel Jo Birkholz Jaden Brooks Bonin Maria Kathryn Brand Lillian Mae Conte Hunter Anton Damsgard Mary Dingman Cooper Doty Amanda Rose Eyerly ** John Michael Fritzke Ian Nathaniel Gould Ethan Jode Greene ** Madison Rose Gribowski Kyle Michael Holman * Randy Jasken Collin Jones Benjamin Michael Kaiser * Love Loureen LaBarre Broderick Mitchell McKnight Mason Anthony Nelson Geneva Noreen * Benjamin Foster Rayne Logan Gerald Schrupp **** Carson Michael Steen Lucas Wangda Wei Kole Wenner Cameron Zaleski

CHEMISTRY

HEALTH AND WELLNESS MANAGEMENT Jacob William Berger Autumn L Bowman Delilah Nicole Kowalke *

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

MANAGEMENT

MARKETING Lidia Marie James Curtis **** Kaitlyn Kristi Gilk **** Jack Leifker * Bradley Wayne Niekamp * Ethan Sigler

MATHEMATICS Alexander Kathryn Robarge *** Daniel Stratton * Lezlie AnnMarie Weyer ***

PHYSICS

Chloe Jean Heifner ****

TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES LILY KAYE SULLIVAN ***

Darrian Brown Lidia Marie James Curtis **** Claire Petersen Joe Raymond Smith Braden Wilkinson

BACHELOR OF MUSIC EDUCATION NATALIE SUSANNAH MY-AN MAINO ****

ENGLISH John Patrick McBroom *

FINANCE John Nicholas Condon Jordan Elizabeth Erickson Riley James Olson Logan Rowe Jacob John Vangstad Casey Edward Wesbur

Chase Anthony Kern

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William David Parker

GRADUATE STUDIES

KEYNOTE SPEAKER David Bonko Marketing Communications Program, Associate Professor

Caroline Baker, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies

David Bonko strives to provide his students with hands-on learning opportunities and to connect with them on a personal level to ensure they learn real-world skills that enable them to have successful futures.

MASTER OF ARTS TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (TESOL) Adviser: Douglas Margolis Monica DuMond

Bonko is an assistant professor of marketing communications who has taught at UW-River Falls for the past 27 years. In addition to instructing students about marketing and communications topics, he provides experiential learning for his students to augment their education.

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Adviser: Leanne Van Allen Colin Roger Bergs Melissa Lynn Berwald Adam Joseph Canepa Brook Coles Mitch Eigenberger

Benjamin Kimes Rachel McHenry Russell Moffat Lauren Murphy Olivia Rice Samantha Werner

Each year, Bonko’s students select a nonprofit charity to raise money for, then design and carry out a marketing campaign to assist that charity. Since 2011, those studentled campaigns have raised more than $60,000 for good causes.

“I focus a lot on experiential learning,” Bonko said. “It’s more than just telling students ‘Learn this.’ It’s teaching them about why information they are learning is relevant, why it is going to make a difference in their futures. It’s really about learning by doing, and students seem to like that.”

MASTER OF SCIENCE BUSINESS ANALYTICS

CYBERSECURITY

Adviser: Leanne Van Allen Melissa Lynn Berwald Brook Coles Benjamin Kimes

Adviser: Anthony Varghese Gabrielle Berg Sheilah Fondren Grace Kathrine Zeit

CLINICAL EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

Adviser: Gregory Ruegsegger Treyden Casey Kate Elizabeth Rose Funk

Adviser: Zachary Rourk Courtney Josephine Crouch Craig Danielson Andrew Hahn Matt Paul Konrad Adam Sheldon

Bonko’s longtime work helping his students learn more effectively led to his being awarded the university’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the highest honor a faculty member can receive.

Despite having taught for many years, Bonko remains excited about teaching students about marketing and communications. Interacting with his students and watching them learn key concepts is gratifying, he said.

“These kids work so hard to do good for this world,” Bonko said. “You’re trying to encourage the next generation of community volunteers and I’m lucky that I get to be a part of that.”

MASTER OF SCIENCE EDUCATION COUNSELING Adviser: Caroline Baker Olivia Welshons Adviser: Mark Gillen Kori Lea Charbonneau Brittny Irene Lee Joyce O Loveridge Joseph James Stauffer Latrisse Shyann White Adviser: Suelle Micallef Marmara Clara Elizabeth Ballard Jadyn Renee Biermaier

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

MATH SECONDARY EDUCATION Adviser: Erick Hofacker Lindsey Alger Samantha Ann Falkner

MONTESSORI Adviser: Kateri Carver Sarah Ann Chow Kelly O’Brien

SECONDARY EDUCATION STEM Adviser: Earl Blodgett Melissa Mary Brunshidle

Adviser: Hilary Pollack Jaclyn Rose Buechner

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CHANCELLOR’S AWARD

HONOR SOCIETIES

Although the university had long recognized academic achievement through the granting of awards, scholarships, and honors, non-academic accomplishments had not received similar recognition. It was for this reason that, in 1977, the chancellor and the Student Affairs staff began considering a way of honoring students who had made significant non-academic contributions to the university.

Graduates who have been elected to membership in academic honoraries wear the designated color cords and insignias associated with the societies. The following national academic honor societies are recognized: Alpha Kappa Delta Gamma Theta Upsilon Pi Sigma Alpha Alpha Psi Omega Phi Alpha Theta Psi Chi Alpha Zeta Phi Kappa Phi Sigma Pi Sigma Beta Gamma Sigma Pi Alpha Xi Sigma Tau Delta

It was recommended that a Chancellor’s Award, in the form of a medallion, be established. It is cast in antique bronze, two inches in diameter, and suspended from a red ribbon. The medallion is a smaller replica of the chancellor’s medallion, a symbol of office worn on ceremonial occasions. It depicts the university’s official seal. A certificate of recognition from the chancellor accompanies the award.

INTERNATIONAL FLAGS The international flags on each side of the stage represent the countries of the international students attending UW-River Falls: Belgium Cambodia Canada China Ethiopia Germany Hong Kong

It was determined that the award would recognize service to the university; be granted primarily to upperclass students, although exceptions could be made; would not be based chiefly on scholastic achievement; and could be granted at any appropriate period, but would ordinarily be awarded at the all-campus awards reception.

Taiwan Thailand The Gambia United Kingdom Saudi Arabia

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Names in bold in the program designate Chancellor’s Award recipients.

The ushers and those distributing programs are students from the Student Government Association.

The following graduating seniors received the Chancellor’s Award: Chloe Heifner

Iceland India Indonesia Japan Netherlands South Korea Spain

Assisting with the placement of master’s hoods is Caroline Baker, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies. .

Samuel Peters

HONOR GRADUATES

COMMENCEMENT GOES SOCIAL

Honor graduates are recognized on the program as follows:

Tag your commencement photos and join the conversation with #uwrfgrad.

**** Summa Cum Laude: The student has a grade point average of 3.900 for entire college career at all institutions attended.

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY VIDEO

*** Magna Cum Laude: The student has a grade point average of 3.800 for entire college career at all institutions attended.

Visit https://students.uwrf.edu/commencement to access the livestream video of today’s ceremony. A video archive will be available following the ceremony.

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Cum Laude: The student has a grade point average of 3.700 for entire college career at all institutions attended.

Students who have earned Cum Laude honors wear red and white neck cords.

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Senior Merit: The student has a grade point average of 3.500 and above for the final 60 semester credits.

COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM ONLINE Sustainability as a UW-River Falls Core Value UWRF strives for sustainability across all academic programs, campus operations and activities.

HONORS PROGRAM Names in capital letters designate completion of the Honors Program. Graduates of this program wear silver neck cords.

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