Graduation to feature president-elect Arthur, guest speakers, honorary doctorates Osborn, Morrison

 

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- On Sunday, June 16, La Sierra University will send forth its newest group of alumni inspired by the words of the university’s incoming president who will give the commencement address, and by those whose extensive contributions to the campus and to their communities will be honored.

<p> Dr. Timothy Gillespie, lead teaching pastor at Crosswalk Church in Redlands will give the consecration address on Friday, June 14. </p>

Dr. Timothy Gillespie, lead teaching pastor at Crosswalk Church in Redlands will give the consecration address on Friday, June 14.

<p> La Sierra University Trustee Margie Salcedo-Rice, JD, will serve as featured speaker for the June 15 baccalaureate service at the La Sierra University Church. </p>

La Sierra University Trustee Margie Salcedo-Rice, JD, will serve as featured speaker for the June 15 baccalaureate service at the La Sierra University Church.

<p> Dr. Christon Arthur, incoming La Sierra University president will deliver the commencement address for the Conferring of Degrees on June 16. </p>

Dr. Christon Arthur, incoming La Sierra University president will deliver the commencement address for the Conferring of Degrees on June 16.

<p> Dr. Richard Osborn, interim La Sierra University president, will preside over the Conferring of Degrees ceremony and will be recognized with an honorary Doctor of Humanitarian Service degree. </p>

Dr. Richard Osborn, interim La Sierra University president, will preside over the Conferring of Degrees ceremony and will be recognized with an honorary Doctor of Humanitarian Service degree.

<p> Stan Morrison, university foundation and athletics advisory board chair will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanitarian Service degree. </p>

Stan Morrison, university foundation and athletics advisory board chair will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanitarian Service degree.

<p> Ph.D. in Leadership recipient Patrina Jamieson will receive the President's Award for Outstanding Graduate Student. </p>

Ph.D. in Leadership recipient Patrina Jamieson will receive the President's Award for Outstanding Graduate Student.

<p> Stephanie Galima, B.A. in Psychology, will receive the President's Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student. </p>

Stephanie Galima, B.A. in Psychology, will receive the President's Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student.

As is tradition, the university’s graduation main events span the weekend beginning on Friday, June 14 with a consecration service at the La Sierra University Church featuring Tim Gillespie, lead teaching pastor of Crosswalk Church in Redlands and will include a Saturday, June 15 baccalaureate service also at the church featuring university trustee Margie Salcedo-Ride as key speaker. Events will culminate on Sunday, June 16, which is also Father’s Day, with a Conferring of Degrees ceremony on Founders’ Green. Additional events include celebrations for criminal justice grads and those completing two-year pre-health programs, as well as dedication events for graduates from the School of Education and the H.M.S. Richards Divinity School.

This year’s Conferring of Degrees will feature a commencement address titled “Your Time to Shine” by Christon Arthur who was selected on May 9 by the La Sierra University Board of Trustees to lead the university. He will be La Sierra’s sixth president since the nearly 102-year-old school reorganized as a university in 1990. Arthur will officially begin his new role on July 1.

The June 16 Conferring of Degrees ceremony will also feature awards and presidential medallions for selected faculty, staff and students, and will recognize two individuals with honorary Doctor of Humanitarian Service degrees – Richard Osborn, La Sierra’s interim president who since last fall has spearheaded the formation of a university five-year growth strategy and near-term two-year budget and funding plan, and Stan Morrison, a nationally acclaimed former college basketball coach and Riverside community advocate who serves as chair of the university’s foundation board and who has chaired the university’s Golden Eagles Athletics Advisory Board while serving as a key driver of its high profile fundraising efforts.

The President’s Award for Outstanding Graduate Student will be given to Patrina Jamieson, a Ph.D. in Leadership graduate from the School of Education who has exhibited a commitment to the university through service with campus groups and to fellow students, and who has served the educational needs of her home country of Jamaica through an electronic textbook distribution project under La Sierra’s Enactus team.

The President’s Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student will be given to Stephanie Galima, a Bachelor of Arts in psychology graduate who is noted for her dedication to service while earning a 4.0 GPA, participating in collaborative lab research and in an international honor society while serving her community through work with various nonprofit outreach endeavors.

Faculty and staff awards will be given to Gary Chartier, associate dean of the Zapara School of Business who will be honored with the Distinguished Service Award and to former Director of Human Resources Dell Jean Van Fossen who will receive the Jay J. Nethery Award for dedicated service. Presidential medallions will be presented by interim university president Osborn to John Brunt, vice chair of the La Sierra University Board of Trustees and chair of the presidential search committee, to Provost April Summitt, and Traci Spedden, executive assistant to the president.

The university will confer degrees for bachelor, master, and doctoral programs upon a graduating class ranging in age from 21 to 65. Degrees will be issued from the School of Education, the H.M.S. Richards Divinity School, the Tom & Vi Zapara School of Business, and the College of Arts & Sciences.

A graduation weekend schedule of main events and information is available at lasierra.edu/graduation/events-of-commencement/La Sierra University is located at 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside.

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