Ceremonies recognizing the academic and personal accomplishments of Western Illinois University students and alumni will be held Friday-Saturday, May 13-14 in Macomb and Sunday, May 15 in the Quad Cities during the Spring 2022 Commencement Weekend.
The number of students eligible to participate in the Spring 2022 Commencement ceremonies is 1,476, which includes 1,065 undergraduate students, of which 81 are in the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies degree program; 411 are master’s-level graduate students; and one student is earning their doctorate in educational leadership (Ed.D.): Nicole Combs (East Peoria, IL).
Ceremony Live Streams
The ceremonies will be available via livestream on WIU’s YouTube.
Commencement Books
This semester’s Commencement books are available online at wiu.edu/commencement/spring_2022/index.php.
Health-Related Information
Health-related information can be found here. Masks are required in Western Hall.
Distinguished Alumni
Patrick M. Magoon, a 1976 sociology graduate, is the retired president and CEO of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Magoon devoted his entire professional career to Lurie Children’s Hospital (formerly Children’s Memorial Hospital), where he started as a planning department intern in 1977. He worked his way up through a series of jobs, before being named CEO in 1997. When Magoon first took over, the hospital was losing more than $1 million a month. Now, Lurie is in the black and growing.
The number of children served by the hospital increased by more than 50 percent, to nearly 200,000 a year, and the research funding more than quadrupled. Under his leadership, the hospital was relocated in 2012, to a new state-of-the-art facility downtown. During his tenure, the hospital consistently appeared on the U.S. News & World Report’s list of top children’s hospitals in the nation and was the first children’s hospital in the country to receive the Magnet Hospital designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Magoon had a major role in both the federal and state arenas on issues such as Medicaid reform for medically complex children, graduate medical education, pediatric research and child safety. He is past Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions/National Association of Children’s Hospitals. He also is past Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Illinois Hospital Association and se
rved on the IHA Medicaid Reform Task Force and Safety Net Hospital Forum. He currently serves as an advisor to his successor.
Magoon has been supportive of his alma mater over the years, and currently serves on the President’s National Advisory Council. In 2012, he established the Patrick Magoon Scholarship, and in 2013, gave the Robert and Mary Ferguson Lecture. In 2019, Magoon hosted eight Western Illinois University School of Nursing students at Lurie Children’s Hospital, giving them the opportunity to expand their academic experience, shadowing hospital leaders.
Robert L. Nardelli, a 1971 business graduate, is the former chairman/CEO of Home Depot, Chrysler and CEO of GE Power Systems. He was a three-year letterman on the Leatherneck football team, and was a starting left guard on the 1969 team that won the final IIAC championship. He also served as co-captain of the 1970 team, and was an active member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity at WIU.
Nardelli began his career with GE, advancing through the ranks of the company, before being named CEO of GE Power Systems in 1993. He grew the company’s earnings from $5 billion to $20 billion in just a few years. As chairman and CEO of Home Depot from 2000-2007, Nardelli helped grow the retail corporation to a $90 billion company. Under his leadership, the company added 1,000 new stores and more than 135,000 jobs.
The son of a veteran, Nardelli made it his mission at Home Depot to hire veterans. Following his time at Home Depot, he served as Chairman and CEO and as a member of the Board of Managers of Chrysler, LLC from 2007-2009. President Barack Obama credited Nardelli with saving Chrysler. He left Chrysler to serve as CEO and senior adviser of Cerberus Operations Advisory Company, and after eight years, decided to branch out on his own to found XLR-8 LLC, an investment and advisory company, where he remains as CEO.
Nardelli is a member of the WIU President’s National Advisory Council, was honorary co-chair of WIU’s $25 million Centennial Campaign, which concluded in December 2000, and served on the College of Business and Technology Advisory Board. In 1998, he established an endowed scholarship for student athletes majoring in business. He received an honorary doctorate from WIU in 2002. Nardelli serves as a Senior Advisor to SAP, EY, Emigrant Capital Corp, Core Industrial Partners, LLC, among others, is a frequent co-host with Maria Bartiromo on Mornings with Maria and does guest appearances on other financial shows, including Your World with Neil Cavuto, America Reports and others. He sits on the Board for BWXT Technologies, Inc., FATHOM Digital Manufacturing Corp. and on the board of a number of private equity investment firms. Nardelli also serves on the Board of Trustees for Savannah College of Art & Design and Atlanta Cristo Rey Jesuit High School.
Over the years, Nardelli received numerous awards in recognition for his leadership and his contribution to community organizations. Nardelli has twice been awarded the U.S. Secretary of Defense Freedom Award and most recently he received the TKE Foundation’s highest honor, the Circle of Excellence award.
Macomb Honors, Commissioning and Commencement Ceremonies
Interim Provost and Academic Vice President William Clow will serve as master of ceremonies for each ceremony. Greetings will be given by Erik Dolieslager, vice chair of the Board of Trustees, and President Guiyou Huang will present remarks to the graduating class during the commencement ceremonies. WIU’s Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, WIU Political Science Professor Julia Albarracin, will be recognized at each ceremony. The Western Illinois University Concert Band, under the direction of WIU Professor of Music Matt Thomas, will play for the Macomb ceremonies.
This year’s Academic Honors Convocation will be held virtually at wiu.edu/centennial_honors_college/virtual_convocation.
Events scheduled for Friday, May 11 include:
• 3 p.m. Army ROTC Commissioning, University Union Heritage Room
Ten Army ROTC cadets, who have completed requirements, will be commissioned to active or reserve duty as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.
• 5 p.m. Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony, Western Hall
National Anthem singer: Daniel Lee Hollander (Volo, IL), BFA Music, class of 2022. Marshals are graduate students: Paige Sommers (Beardstown, IL); Adam Gentry (Lake Zurich, IL); Emmanuel Ennin (Ghana) and Oyindamola Ruth Olawepo (Macomb).
Saturday, May 12 – Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies, Western Hall
To find the list of majors by college, go to wiu.edu/commencement/majors.php.
During the 9 a.m. ceremony, candidates in the College of Business and Technology (CBT) and College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) will be recognized. National Anthem singer: Joshua Pitt (Racine, WI), Bachelor of Music, Class of 2022.
Marshals, who are graduating seniors selected from the top scholars earning high academic distinction, guide the graduating class, faculty and stage party from the processional to the recessional. Marshals are: Megan Gilfillan (Rockford, IL); Solomon Hamm (Macomb); Kassandra Jolly (Geneseo, IL); Elizabeth Lutz (California, MO); Shelby Ponder (Knoxville, IL); Arsalaan Raza (Macomb); Jessica Schaumberg (Streator, IL); and Kevin White (Carthage, IL).
During the 1 p.m. ceremony, the remainder of candidates in the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) will be recognized. National Anthem singer: Alfonzo Cooper, Jr., C.T. Vivian Diversity Teaching Scholar in Vocal Performance. Marshals are: Hannah Akers (Cambridge, IL); Madeline Boyd (Rushville, IL); Madison Darrow (Lowpoint, IL); Joshua Figus (Arlington Heights, IL); Maylissa Nalley (Sycamore, IL); Kaehler Russell (McHenry, IL); Brittany Van Tine (Macomb); and Kylie Winsor (Verona, IL).
During the 4:30 p.m. ceremony, candidates in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies (BGS) degree program, and the Interdisciplinary Studies Program will be recognized. National Anthem singer: Alfonzo Cooper, Jr., C.T. Vivian Diversity Teaching Scholar in Vocal Performance. Marshals are: Erin Anderson (Bettendorf, IA); Blair Atherton (Avon, IL); Alaric Evans (Muscatine, IA); Ryan Homer (Batavia, IL) Neilla Janssen (Lake Villa, IL); Joshlyn Lomax (Chicago); Ian Stearns (Springfield, IL); and Mei Lin Zheng (Silvis, IL).
Sunday, May 13 – Quad Cities – Honors and Combined Ceremonies, TaxSlayer Center, Moline
1:30 p.m., WIU-QC Combined Graduate and Undergraduate Commencement
Interim Provost William Clow will serve as master of ceremonies for each ceremony. Greetings will be given by Erik Dolieslager, vice chair of the Board of Trustees. President Guiyou Huang will present remarks to the graduating class. National Anthem singer: Alfonzo Cooper, Jr., C.T. Vivian Diversity Teaching Scholar in Vocal Performance. Marshals are: Janee Fowler (Bettendorf, IA); Mackenzie Goldring (Lewistown, IL); and Kristin Kronfeld (Geneseo, IL).
The Western Illinois University Brass Quintet will play for the WIU-QC ceremonies.
Flags
The flags of 24 nations representing the Spring 2022 graduating class will be displayed. Sponsored by Western’s Center for International Studies, the flags represent the following countries: Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.
Western was home to students from 59 countries during the Spring 2022 semester.
Gonfalons and Gonfaloniers
Gonfalons, which are banners hung from a crossbar on poles, made their inaugural appearance in the Fall 2009 Commencement ceremonies. Western Illinois University gonfalons are for the School of Graduate Studies, as well as for each of the four academic colleges: Arts and Sciences (white); Business and Technology (royal blue); Education and Human Services (UN blue) and Fine Arts and Communication (spice brown); the Centennial Honors College and WIU Libraries.
Those who are chosen to carry the gonfalons are called gonfaloniers. This honor has been awarded to the faculty members listed below:
Live Broadcast
Western’s University Television (UTV) will broadcast all Macomb Commencement ceremonies live on the University’s YouTube channel.
Photos
Photographs of each graduate will be taken as they receive their diploma cover. Proof sheets will be mailed from Western’s Visual Production Center to each graduate, with instructions for ordering photos.
Open Ceremonies; ADA Requests
WIU-Macomb
An interpreter will sign each ceremony and assistive listening devices will be available to the public at the information table in the north lobby of Western Hall. There are a limited number of disability seats, and individuals in need of special accommodations for the ceremonies should contact Western’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at (309) 298-1977. Office hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays.
Visit wiu.edu/commencement for more information.
WIU-QC
Individuals needing special accommodations for the Quad Cities ceremony should contact Audrey Adamson at WIU-Quad cities at ((309) 762-9481 or via email at ANW-Adamson@wiu.edu. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Additional information about the WIU-QC Commencement ceremony is available at wiu.edu/qc/commencement/index.php.
