Fall commencement ceremonies are set to be held Dec. 14, with UMSL expected to confer more than 900 degrees. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

The University of Missouri–St. Louis will confer more than 900 degrees as it celebrates summer and fall graduates during three commencement ceremonies on Dec. 14.

Commencement weekend kicks off at 9 a.m. Dec. 14 with a ceremony for the College of Business Administration and the College of Nursing at the Mark Twain Athletic Center. UMSL alum Rebecca Boyer, the chief financial officer for ACME Group Holding Company, will deliver the commencement address.

Rebecca Boyer

Boyer, who earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UMSL and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, is a trailblazer in finance, mergers and acquisitions and business analytics. Her distinguished career spans over two decades, having previously served as CFO of KellyMitchell, where she led the company’s growth from a single office to more than 16 nationwide. In her current role as CFO of ACME Group Holding Company, an employee-owned organization, she drives strategic growth, financial excellence and operational efficiency. Boyer has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including being named one of St. Louis’ Most Influential Businesswomen and a 40 Under 40 honoree by the St. Louis Business Journal. Her leadership also contributed to her organizations being recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies in America seven times.

Graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences will be honored during a ceremony at 1:30 p.m. that afternoon. Retired Vice Admiral Robert Sharp, the former director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and now a research fellow with the UMSL Geospatial Collaborative, will deliver the address.

Retired Vice Admiral Robert Sharp

Sharp served as the NGA director from February 2019 until June 2022. As director, he and his team were responsible for delivering world-class geospatial intelligence to provide a decisive advantage to policymakers, military service members, intelligence professionals, first responders and international partners. He was accountable for over 14,000 civilian, military and contractor employees working around the clock and globe in over 120 locations worldwide. Sharp has decades of leadership experience in the intelligence, defense and national security arenas, having served as a naval intelligence officer for over 34 years and as a leader within the Navy’s Information Warfare Community since its inception. In 2022, Sharp – who holds a BA from the University of the Pacific and a master’s in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces – was appointed as a research fellow in the UMSL Geospatial Collaborative in 2022. His work is focused on guiding collaborative K-16 workforce and talent development in the St. Louis region.

The final ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. to honor graduates of the College of Education, the UMSL/Washington University Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program and the School of Social Work. UMSL alum Eric’el Johnson, an F/A-18 mission systems manager at Boeing, will give the address.

Eric’el Johnson

Johnson, who holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from UMSL as well as a master’s in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T, began her career at Boeing as an intern the summer after her freshman year. Now, she leads a team of 14 as engineering manager in FA-18 mission systems. While growing her career by developing her technical skills, she helped create opportunities for others by founding a mentoring program for UMSL and WashU engineering students to connect with Boeing engineers. As an UMSL student, Johnson was exceptionally active on campus and in the community, serving in multiple leadership roles and as a mentor and an ambassador for UMSL. She came to the university as an Opportunity Scholar and, during her undergraduate career, was named Student Leader of the Year and an UMSL Trailblazer. Today, she remains remains committed to students and alumni at UMSL as an active member of the UMSL Alumni Association Governing Board and an advocate for increased access to STEM opportunities.

Fall 2024 commencement schedule

Saturday, Dec. 14
• 9 a.m. – College of Business Administration and College of Nursing
• 1:30 p.m. – College of Arts and Sciences
• 6 p.m. – College of Education, UMSL/Washington University Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program and School of Social Work