WSU awards nearly 800 diplomas at fall commencement

WSUGradBeasleyPULLMAN, Wash. – Close to 3,000 family members and friends Saturday packed into Washington State University’s Beasley Coliseum, where nearly 800 graduating students crossed the stage to receive diplomas during the university’s annual fall commencement ceremony.

WSU President Elson S. Floyd handed out degrees to graduates from across WSU’s four campuses. In all, 784 degrees were awarded to graduating students, including 53 doctoral degrees, 48 master’s degrees and 683 undergraduate degrees.

WSUGradBeasleyThe featured speaker for the event was Jordan D. Schnitzer, a Portland-area real estate professional and philanthropist, who was presented with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Fine Arts by President Floyd. Schnitzer, owner of one of the nation’s largest collections of contemporary fine arts prints, has organized more than 90 exhibitions of works in his collection for more than 60 museums of art, including the WSU Museum of Art. Last year, Schnitzer also donated $5 million toward construction of a new art museum on the Pullman campus.

“Mr. Schnitzer’s contributions to WSU have laid the foundation for making the dream of a new Museum of Art a reality,” said Floyd. “We thank him for that. He believes that all people must have the opportunity to experience the arts as a part of living fabric of our daily lives. His contributions create a positive impact on all of us, and will continue to do so in the future.”

The two-hour commencement ceremony was broadcast live through Cable 8 TV and videostreamed live at http://www.experience.wsu.edu, where it also will be archived for future viewing.

Contact:

Robert Strenge, WSU News, 509-335-3583, rstrenge@wsu.edu