UWM to award 3,300 degrees at commencement May 19

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will award about 3,300 degrees at its 130th commencement on Sunday, May 19, at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, 400 W. Kilbourn Ave.

Degrees will be awarded at two ceremonies, one at 9 a.m. and one at 2 p.m. Jeffery Yabuki, chairman of Motive Partners and former CEO of Fiserv, will be the featured speaker at both ceremonies. Yabuki will receive an honorary Doctor of Business degree at the afternoon ceremony.

The university will present 2,268 bachelor’s degrees, 745 master’s degrees, 143 doctoral degrees, 18 graduate specialist degrees, 94 graduate certificates and 102 associate degrees. The oldest bachelor’s degree recipient is 72, while the youngest is 19. The oldest associate degree recipient is 55; the youngest is 19.

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER: Jeffery Yabuki

Jeffery Yabuki is chairman of Motive Partners, a specialist private equity firm investing in the technology companies that enable the financial economy. He also serves as chairman and CEO of InvestCloud, a global leader in wealth management technology. Previously, Yabuki was CEO of Fiserv, where he transformed the business from a traditional holding company into a unified, global leader in financial services and payments technology. He founded the Yabuki Family Foundation in 1999 to support innovative initiatives that tackle some of the world’s toughest problems, with a particular focus on mental and emotional health, family, education, arts and social justice. Yabuki also serves as the Sheldon B. Lubar Executive in Residence at the Lubar School of Business at UWM, where he teaches and mentors the next generation of global talent in financial technology, strategy and leadership. 

MEDIA ACCESS

Members of the media wishing to cover the commencement ceremonies should enter through the Panther Arena’s main doors on Kilbourn Avenue and ask for assistance from an usher. TV crews can set up on one of the two risers just behind the seats for graduates on the main floor of the arena. Media are asked to RSVP via email to media-services-team@uwm.edu.

SEATING

Graduates do not need tickets to attend, but all guests are required to have a ticket. Graduates were allowed up to six guests each. Doors open 90 minutes before the ceremony. Guests should enter the UWM Panther Arena through the main entrance doors at 400 W. Kilbourn Ave.

Weapons, backpacks, large banners, food and other items prohibited by the Wisconsin Center District will not be allowed. The bag policy at UWM Panther Arena will also be strictly enforced. Graduates have been notified that disruption of commencement may violate state law and university policy and could result in arrest. 

The ceremony will be livestreamed. That stream can be seen on UWM’s website, where it will remain available for viewing afterward.

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

The numbers of degrees awarded by UWM schools and colleges are below. The numbers include bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, associate and flex degrees.

College of Letters & Science: 741

Lubar College of Business: 613

College of Engineering & Applied Science: 280

Peck School of the Arts: 239

School of Nursing: 224

School of Education: 223

Helen Bader School of Social Welfare: 187

School of Information Studies: 164

School of Biomedical Sciences & Health Care Administration: 158

Zilber College of Public Health: 142

School of Architecture & Urban Planning: 125

College of General Studies: 102

School of Rehabilitation Sciences & Technology: 89

School of Freshwater Sciences: 19