Central College will celebrate commencement May 14, 2016, with 256 students participating. The ceremony is at 6 p.m. in H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse. Graduates and families will also celebrate baccalaureate at 2 p.m. in Douwstra Auditorium.
Chris Hulleman, 1993 graduate, joins the ceremony as commencement speaker. Hulleman is now research associate professor at the University of Virginia, co-coordinates the Motivation Research Institute and teaches as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Graduate Psychology at James Madison University.
Hulleman will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at the ceremony. After completing his B.A. in general studies at Central, Hulleman completed a master’s degree and Ph.D. in experimental social and personality psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as a graduate diploma from University of Western Australia.
“I see myself as someone who takes the little bit of smarts that I have and just puts my nose to the grindstone,” Hulleman says. “I’m super pumped to come back and share. I probably won’t break into song like Will Farrell, but I’ll be me.”
Doors to H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse open for commencement at 4:30 p.m. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform at 5:30 p.m., and a reception and photo opportunities will follow the ceremony in P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium and Kuyper Lawn. The ceremony will also be available online through live streaming. Baccalaureate will also be streamed.
No tickets are distributed for baccalaureate and commencement. Overflow seating for baccalaureate will be available in Graham Conference Center’s Vermeer Banquet room. Commencement seating in chairs and bleachers is available on a first come, first-served basis for all guests. For more details, view the commencement schedule.
Founded in 1853, Central College of Pella, Iowa, is a private, residential four-year liberal arts college known for its academic rigor and strength in global experiential learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), sustainability education, athletics success and tradition, and leadership and service. Central continues to value its long-standing relationship with the Reformed Church in America. The college participates in NCAA Division III athletics and is a member of the Iowa Conference. Central is an active part of the Greater Des Moines region and just two minutes from Lake Red Rock, Iowa’s largest lake.
