K-State commencement ceremonies to recognize summer, fall 2023 degree candidates

Kansas State University will see nearly 1,300 candidates for graduation this fall at commencement ceremonies set for Friday, Dec. 8, in Manhattan and Salina and Saturday, Dec. 9, in Manhattan. Candidates from both the summer 2023 and fall 2023 semesters will be recognized.

Ceremony information, including parking, accommodations and a live webcast of the Manhattan campus ceremonies, will be available on the K-State graduation website.

This fall's undergraduate commencement ceremonies will be the first to feature purple caps and gowns.

Approximately 900 bachelor's degrees, 350 master's degrees and 50 doctorates will be awarded this fall. Nearly 40 students will be earning multiple degrees. The graduates-to-be also include 377 students who are earning their degrees through a K-State Online program. These graduates are being recognized at the K-State Online virtual commencement site.

The following is the schedule and speakers for ceremonies on Dec. 8:

• Graduate School, 1 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum. Regent Neelima Parasker will represent the Kansas Board of Regents at the ceremony. K-State Provost Charles Taber will be the speaker.

• K-State Salina, 7 p.m., Student Life Center, Salina. Timothy Rogers, executive director of the Salina Airport Authority, will be the speaker. Rogers has worked in airport and industrial center management for more than 30 years.

The Air Force ROTC Detachment 270 will also hold a commissioning ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 8 in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union. The commissioning officer and speaker will be Lt. Col. Brian Witthoeft, commander of Detachment 270.

The following is the schedule and speakers for ceremonies on Dec. 9:

• College of Arts and Sciences, 8:30 a.m., Bramlage Coliseum. The speaker will be Ann Tiao, assistant dean for student services in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Tiao is chair of K-State's College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Advisory Council.

• College of Education, 10 a.m., Bramlage Coliseum. Cindy Couchman, superintendent of Buhler USD 313, will be the speaker. Couchman is a veteran math teacher and 2014 inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

• College of Business Administration, 11:30 a.m., Bramlage Coliseum. Zane Burke, CEO of Quantum Health, will be the speaker. Burke's career has spanned several leadership roles in digital health and health care technology organizations, including president of Cerner Corporation.

• College of Agriculture, 1 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum. Aleksan Shanoyan, associate professor of agricultural economics, will be the speaker. Shanoyan has led research across several food industries, with a recent focus on beef and biofuel supply chains, agri-food systems resilience, pet food economics and big data applications in agriculture. 

• College of Health and Human Sciences, 2:30 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum. Jamie Ball, a pediatrician at Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, Missouri, will be the speaker. Ball is a 2021 recipient of the K-State Alumni Association's Distinguished Young Alumni award.

• Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, 4 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum. Vicki Scharnhorst, a vice president in the Tetra Tech Resilient Sustainable Infrastructure Group, will be the speaker. Scharnhorst has led large water resource projects, valued at more than $3.7 billion, in the private sector and at the federal, state and municipal levels. ​

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As the nation's first operational land-grant institution, Kansas State University has served the people of Kansas, the nation and the world since its founding in 1863 — and it continues to set the standard as a next-generation land-grant university. K-State offers an exceptional student experience across three physical campuses and online offerings, meeting students where they are and preparing them to achieve their personal and professional goals. The university is committed to its mission of teaching, research and service through industry-connected programs, impactful research-driven solutions, and a sharp focus on community engagement and economic prosperity.