Spring commencement ceremonies are set to be held May 15 and May 16 with UMSL expected to confer nearly 1,400 degrees to spring and summer graduates. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
The University of Missouri–St. Louis will confer nearly 1,400 degrees as it celebrates spring and summer graduates during five commencement ceremonies on May 15 and 16.
“My wish for you, and your family and friends, is that you are filled with pride today,” Chancellor Kristin Sobolik, who will celebrate her final commencement as UMSL chancellor, wrote in a letter to students. “I hope you feel the recognition you’ve rightly earned, and I hope you feel content in the knowledge that what you’ve achieved in your time here is a foundation for the rest of your future successes. May you go forward ready to transform your life into the one you dream of – and help others do the same along the way.”
The university will begin commencement weekend with a ceremony for the College of Optometry at 2 p.m. on Friday at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. Dr. Melvin Shipp, dean emeritus of The Ohio State University College of Optometry, will deliver the address. Prior to his tenure at OSU, Dr. Shipp was a member of the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham from 1976 to 2004. He has assumed leadership and membership roles within a variety of nonfederal national health-related organizations. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a diplomate – and former chair – of the Public Health and Environmental Optometry Section. He has also held various leadership roles with the Vision Care Section of the American Public Health Association. Dr. Shipp was elected to the office of APHA Treasurer in 2000 and currently serves as a member of the APHA Executive Board. Dr. Shipp’s research interests include the evaluation of the impact of vision-related public policy and traffic safety, the reduction of racial and ethnic eye and vision health disparities, and relationships between blood homocysteine levels and premature presbyopia. Dr. Shipp is only the second optometrist to receive the Doctor of Public Health degree; and is the first to do so through the highly competitive Pew Health Policy Doctoral Fellowship Program at the University of Michigan.
All other commencement ceremonies will be held in the Mark Twain Athletic Center.
Friday’s 7 p.m. ceremony will honor graduates of the Ed G. Smith College of Business and the UMSL/Washington University Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program. Don Mueth, director of operations at Asset Consulting Group, will deliver the address. Mueth, who earned his BSBA from UMSL in 1984 and his DBA from UMSL in 2020, began his career in the financial services industry in 1984. Prior to joining Asset Consulting Group, Mueth was a vice president with Walnut Street Securities where he developed the firm’s investment management and research divisions. Mueth also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Society of St. Louis and the CFA Institute. He was honored with a Salute to Business Achievement Award from UMSL in 2017.
Saturday’s first ceremony begins at 9 a.m. and will recognize graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences in the arts, humanities, mathematics and sciences as well as graduates of the College of Nursing. Mike Ward, former deputy director for the Midwest region of the National Park Service, will deliver the address and will also receive an honorary doctorate. After nearly 40 years with the NPS, Ward retired in July of 2025. His responsibilities included oversight of five program areas that supported 66 park units within 13 states. He also supervised the superintendents of the seven largest parks in the region. Prior to this position, Ward was the superintendent of the Gateway Arch National Park, Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota and Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. He held other supervisory roles prior to these and started his career through a youth program at Lincoln Home National Historic Site in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois. Ward currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, ensuring our National Parks remain protected for future generations.
The second ceremony of the day, at 1:30 p.m., will recognize graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences in interdisciplinary studies, liberal studies, political science, criminology, sociology, communications, psychological sciences and graduates of the School of Social Work. Leah Amir, president and CEO of VantageView and executive director for The Institute for Quality Resource Management, will deliver the address. Amir, who earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from UMSL in 1976 and her master’s in molecular biology and physiology from UMSL in 1980, has used her talents to engage with key U.S. healthcare policymakers, achieving reimbursement for new drugs, devices and medical procedures to ensure patients can receive quality medical care. Her work has contributed to best practices in healthcare delivery to enable physicians and hospitals to receive appropriate payment. Blending biochemistry, physiology and physics to conduct randomized controlled human trials, her team has steered breakthrough treatments through the FDA, including XCellCure’s molecular test “AMiAware” to identify patients likely to experience a fatal cardiac event when traditional cardiac markers are negative. Her solid foundation in science, including experience teaching microbiology at UMSL, director of health economics at Mallinckrodt Medical and executive director of global reimbursement at Zimmer, informs creative solutions that enhance the delivery of quality medical care.
Commencement will conclude with Saturday’s final ceremony at 6:30 p.m., which will honor graduates of the College of Education and the Office of Inclusive Postsecondary Education’s Succeed certificate program. UMSL alum Melanie Adams, interim director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, will deliver the address. Adams, who earned her PhD in educational leadership and policy studies from UMSL, has built a distinguished career at the intersection of museums, education and community impact over more than 25 years. She joined the Smithsonian Institution in 2018 as director of the Anacostia Community Museum and currently serves as interim director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, advancing the understanding of women’s contributions throughout history. Prior to the Smithsonian, she spent over a decade with the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis, where she led extensive community programming and built partnerships across the region. Her service also includes nine years on the Special Administrative Board of St. Louis Public Schools, helping guide the district’s return to accreditation.
UMSL alumni and longtime supporters Stan and Terry Freerks will also receive honorary doctorates at UMSL’s spring commencement. Both are dedicated alumni and community leaders whose impact spans education, athletics, business and civic life. Individually, each has achieved distinction in their professional careers and they have been deeply engaged at UMSL and provided sustained leadership in support of university priorities – advising institutional leaders, supporting campus programs, engaging with civic partners and proudly championing UMSL faculty, staff, students and student-athletes. Stan, who earned his MBA from UMSL in 1992, is an insurance industry leader who spent more than 40 years bringing peace of mind and financial stability to individuals and businesses in St. Louis and beyond at S.A. Freerks & Associates and Risk Placement Services. Terry, meanwhile, earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UMSL in 1977 and a master’s degree in education from UMSL in 1979. She is a licensed professional counselor in private practice and the CFO, executive director emeritus and retired head coach of the Clayton Shaw Park Swimming Team. Stan serves on the board of the St. Louis Mercantile Library and previously on the Ed G. Smith College of Business Advisory Board while also supporting various UMSL initiatives, and Terry serves on the Chancellor’s Council and the Alumni Association Governing Board, and has served on the College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Council. In 2016, the Freerks were awarded the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Medal for Philanthropy in recognition of their generous support of the university.
Friday, May 15
2 p.m. – College of Optometry at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center
7 p.m. – Ed G. Smith College of Business and UMSL/Washington University Joint Engineering Program
Saturday, May 16
9 a.m. – College of Arts and Sciences I (arts, humanities, mathematics and sciences) and College of Nursing
1:30 p.m. – College of Arts and Sciences II (interdisciplinary studies, liberal studies, political science, criminology, sociology, communications, psychological sciences) and School of Social Work
6:30 p.m. – College of Education and Succeed certificate program
Location: Mark Twain Athletic Center unless otherwise noted
