UND holds largest August commencement ceremony in the history of the school

UND holds largest August commencement ceremony in the history of the school The University of North Dakota held its largest summer commencement ceremonies on record today (Friday, Aug. 7), at the Chester Fritz Auditorium. UND President Robert Kelley presided over his eighth summer commencement ceremony, handing out degrees and certificates to hundreds of new graduates. A record 547 students were eligible to participate in the summer commencement ceremony. That total eclipsed the previous high of 532 in August 2006. Each year, UND graduates more than 2,700 students in ceremonies in May, August and December. A highlight of the ceremony was the handing out of the first Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees to first six graduates of that program: Jessica Ahmann, Bismarck and native of Belcourt, N.D.; Elizabeth Jahn, Thief River Falls, Minn.; Illaria Moore, Boise, Idaho; Bettina Thompson, Rochester, Minn.; Michelle Ullery, Minnetonka, Minn.; and Sheila Wiegman, Minneapolis. Also, honorary Faculty Flag Marshal Santhosh Seelan was chosen from the ranks of the Chester Fritz Distinguished Professors to carry the University flag and led the commencement procession. Seelan joined the University’s faculty in 1998 as a part of the Department of Space Studies and was named a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor ? the school’s highest academic honor ? in 2014. A rebroadcast of the summer commencement ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 11 - 14 at noon and 8 p.m., on Grand Forks Cable Channel 3. DVDs of the ceremony are available at the UND Bookstore. To purchase a copy, contact the bookstore at 701.777.4980. David Dodds University & Public Affairs write