Kutztown University to Celebrate 2021 Spring Commencement May 7-9

KUTZTOWN, Pa. - More than 1,300 students will be awarded degrees during Kutztown University's spring commencement ceremonies May 7-9, at O'Pake Fieldhouse. Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson, university president, will preside. In addition, more than 220 graduates from the Class of 2020 will return to campus to be recognized at a special ceremony.

Kutztown University will host its 2021 spring commencement across six ceremonies May 7-9. The full schedule can be found below.

Friday night's ceremony will include featured speakers as the university recognizes the Class of 2020. In addition, the university will award an honorary doctorate to Dr. Nathaniel J. Williams. Live video, photos and additional links of the ceremony will be available on the commencement coverage website. All weekend participants are encouraged to watch Friday's ceremony.

Emily Campbell of Hopkinton, N.H., will serve as the undergraduate student speaker. Dan Metzger of Kutztown, Pa., will serve as the graduate student speaker. Dr. Daniel Haxall, professor of Art History and chair of the Department of Art, will serve as the faculty speaker.

Weekend ceremonies for the Class of 2021 will include abbreviated ceremonies with limited speakers. Live video, photos and additional links of all five ceremonies will be available on the commencement coverage website.

Friday, May 7	6 p.m.	Class of 2020 in all colleges
Saturday, May 8	9 a.m.	Class of 2021 College of Business
Saturday, May 8	1 p.m.	Class of 2021 College of Visual & Performing Arts
Saturday, May 8	5 p.m.	Class of 2021 College of Education
Sunday, May 9	12 p.m.	Class of 2021 College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
		(Biology, Computer Science, English, General Studies, Geography, History, Math, Modern Languages, Physical Sciences, Philosophy, and Political Science)
Sunday, May 9	4 p.m.	Class of 2021 College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
		(Anthropology, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology)

 

Campbell of Hopkinton, N.H., graduates with a Bachelor of Science in education with a minor in English as a second language.

While at KU, Campbell served three years as secretary of Student Government Board. She was an academic peer mentor for Tutoring Services, where she provided academic readiness assistance to her fellow students. She served as a coordinator for KU's orientation program for parents and families. She was also a student leader in the STARS program and has volunteered with Special Olympics, Best Buddies and Habitat for Humanity.

After graduation, she plans to continue her education toward a master's degree in school counseling.

Metzger of Kutztown, Pa., graduates with a Doctor of Education in transformational teaching and learning. He graduated from KU in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and went on to earn a Master of Arts in English literature from University of Massachusetts, Boston, Mass., in 2014.

Metzger's doctorate dissertation is titled, "Journaling on the Transition to College: Foucauldian Approaches in the First-Year Writing Classroom." He has presented his peer-reviewed educational and literary research at academic conferences and has been invited to speak about his work in scholarly and professional capacities. He is in his second year as an English instructor at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pa.

During his time at KU, Metzger worked as the graduate assistant for the Education Doctorate Program in KU's College of Education in addition to serving on KU's Commission on Human Diversity and the College of Education's Recruitment and Retention Committee. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Northwestern Lehigh Educational Foundation.

After graduation, Metzger will continue teaching at NCC while seeking a full-time teaching position in higher education. His goal is to further his critical education research to improve teaching practices and first-year student experiences in the writing classroom.

Haxall is a professor of Art History and chair of the Department of Art at KU. Haxall publishes on diverse topics in contemporary art including abstract expressionism, collage, the African diaspora and intersection of art and sport. He has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed essays and exhibition catalogs.

Haxall has presented his work nationally at venues including Harvard University, the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Gallery of Art. He has also presented internationally in Canada, England, Spain and Switzerland. Haxall previously taught at the University at Buffalo (SUNY) and Penn State University. He is a former fellow at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Institute for the Arts and Humanities and currently serves on the Collections Committee for the Allentown Art Museum.

Haxall earned a Bachelor of Arts in art and art history from Villanova University and went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in art history from Penn State University.

Questions can be directed to 610-683-1396 or commencement@kutztown.edu.