The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will award more than 2,000 degrees at its 129th commencement on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 10 a.m. at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, 400 W. Kilbourn Ave.
The university will present 1,252 bachelor’s degrees, 560 master’s degrees, 119 doctoral degrees, 57 associate degrees and 108 certificates. The oldest bachelor’s degree recipient is 63, while the youngest is 20. The oldest associate degree recipient is 42; the youngest is 19.
SEATING
Graduates do not need tickets to attend, but all guests are required to have a ticket.
Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Guests can enter the UWM Panther Arena at the south entrance, along West Kilbourn Avenue. Graduates enter through the doors on the west end of the south entrance.
Several items are prohibited, including weapons, backpacks, large banners and other items. The full list is on the Wisconsin Center District website.
The ceremony will be livestreamed. That stream can be seen on UWM’s website, where it will remain available for viewing afterward.
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS: Vicki Martin and Keith Posley
Featured speakers at commencement will be Vicki Martin, president of Milwaukee Area Technical College, and Keith Posley, superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools. MATC and MPS are partners with UWM in the M3 program, which aims to increase the retention, graduation and career success of students, and provide a prepared workforce and citizenry for the Wisconsin economy.
Martin has served in higher education for four decades and has led MATC since 2014. A Milwaukee native and first-generation college student, she holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UWM, master’s degrees from the University of North Dakota and Cardinal Stritch University, and a doctoral degree from UW-Madison.
Martin is a champion of access to affordable education, greater student success and enhancing the talent pipeline from high school through postsecondary education. Since her presidency began, Martin’s accomplishments include creating the college’s first full-ride scholarship, creating a nationally groundbreaking promise program for returning adults, helping 500 students relieve their debts and return to college through MATC ReStart, and many others.
Posley has spent his career in the Milwaukee Public Schools system. He started as an elementary school teacher at Benjamin Franklin School in 1990 and was named principal of Clarke Street Elementary School in 1999. During his tenure at Clarke Street, the school received a visit from President George W. Bush after Posley was one of eight exemplary principals selected by the president that year. He joined the MPS administration in 2003 as a leadership specialist and was named superintendent in 2018.
Posley earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from UWM after getting his bachelor’s degree from Tougaloo College in Mississippi. He holds a certificate of advanced studies in administrative leadership and a doctorate in education leadership from National Louis University.
MEDIA ACCESS
Members of the media wishing to cover the commencement ceremonies should enter through the Panther Arena’s main doors and ask for assistance from an usher. Media may shoot video or photos from the back or sides of the arena but should stay out of the middle aisles to avoid interfering with students. There is limited riser space behind the first section of seats. Media are asked to RSVP via email to media-services-team@uwm.edu.
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: 435
Lubar College of Business: 382
College of Engineering & Applied Science: 281
School of Nursing: 157
School of Information Studies: 152
School of Education: 143
Peck School of the Arts: 121
Helen Bader School of Social Welfare: 100
School of Biomedical Sciences & Health Care Administration: 84
College of General Studies: 57
School of Rehabilitation Sciences & Technology: 44
Zilber College of Public Health: 42
School of Architecture & Urban Planning: 35
School of Freshwater Sciences: 8