President Andrea Luxton speaks at an Andrews University graduation. Photo credit: Jackson John, University Communication student photographer
Events begin on Friday with a Commencement service, followed by the Baccalaureate on Saturday and two Commencement services on Sunday morning.
All commencement services will take place at the Howard Performing Arts Center, and the Baccalaureate church service will be held at Pioneer Memorial Church (PMC). Overflow seating for the Baccalaureate will be available in the PMC Youth Chapel. Please note that in order to provide adequate seating for the families of graduates, there are three commencement services with reserved seating only.
Additional academic and cultural programs are planned throughout the graduation weekend. For a complete list, please consult the online schedule at andrews.edu/graduation/schedule/.
On Friday, Aug. 5, at 6:30 p.m., Cheryl Doss, recently retired director of the General Conference Institute of World Mission, will present the commencement address for the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. Doss received a BS in nursing and MA in religious education from Andrews University, in addition to a PhD in Christian education and intercultural studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She served for 16 years in the country of Malawi, dedicating her life to mission and nurturing family growth. In her time at the Institute of World Mission, she helped develop curriculum and resources for mission training and established support systems for missionary care and cross-cultural education.
At the Friday evening commencement service, E. Edward Zinke will be honored with the President’s Medallion. Zinke has contributed significantly to the theological thinking of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on the integration of faith and science. He has organized several international conferences, inviting interfaith dialogue and education. His commitment to the Church and Andrews University has been shown through his participation on several boards and committees, including long standing service on the Andrews University Board of Trustees, as well as his thoughtful engagement with topics of faith and religion.
The Baccalaureate on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 11:45 a.m., will be delivered by Ken Denslow, president of the Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and vice chair of the Andrews University Board of Trustees. Denslow received his BA in religion and MDiv from Andrews University. Before assuming his current position in 2021, he worked as assistant to the president of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. He also has served as president of the Illinois Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Duane McBride, senior research professor of sociology at Andrews University and executive director of the University’s Institute for Prevention of Addictions, will offer the 8:30 a.m. commencement on Sunday, Aug. 7, for students of the College of Arts & Sciences and College of Professions. McBride earned a master’s degree in industrial organization from the University of Maryland and a PhD in sociology of deviant behavior from the University of Kentucky. He has taught at Andrews University for 36 years and served as chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences from 1992–2015. In addition to his prolific research and publications, McBride was a member on the Advisory Board of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President Clinton, is currently on the Advisory Board for the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future Project and served as president of the Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association from 2002–2022. He is in the top ten percent of all cited scholars listed in Research Gate.
Honorary degree candidate Surangel S. Whipps, Jr., president of the Republic of Palau, will be presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws at the 8:30 a.m. commencement service. Whipps received his BS in business administration from Andrews University and an MBA from Anderson Graduate School of Management. Whipps has dedicated his life to service and policy making with the goal of advocating for the best interests of the Palauan people and the island’s natural environment. He is best known for his commitment to human resources and fostering the Palauan economy, including implementation of a law that increased the minimum wage in his country. His leadership has had a significant impact on both the people and the island of Palau.
The 11 a.m. Commencement service on Sunday is for graduates from the College of Health & Human Services. Lena Caesar, professor of speech-language-hearing sciences and director of graduate programs at Loyola University Maryland, will be the speaker. Caesar holds two doctoral degrees, a PhD in speech-language pathology/interdisciplinary health sciences from Western Michigan University and an EdD from Western Michigan University in special education administration. Her teaching and scholarly interests focus on typical speech and language development in bilingual speakers as well as speakers of non-mainstream English dialects. She has published in a number of professional and scholarly journals and has received several research grants for her work. In recognition of her research at Loyola University Maryland, Caesar was recently nominated for the 2022 Distinguished Scholar of the Year Award.
Select graduation services will be livestreamed. For more details, visit andrews.edu/graduation/.
Founded in 1874, Andrews University is the flagship institution of higher education for the Seventh-day Adventist Church and offers more than 160 areas of study, including advanced degrees. Its main campus is in Berrien Springs, Michigan, but the University also provides instruction at colleges and universities in more than 25 countries around the world.
Isabella Koh, University Communication student writer
