Central College will celebrate commencement May 13 with 238 students participating. The ceremony is at 2 p.m. in H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse. Graduates and families will also celebrate baccalaureate at 10 a.m. in Douwstra Auditorium.
Pamela Soltis ‘80 will deliver this year’s commencement speech. Soltis is distinguished professor and curator of molecular systematics and evolutionary genetics in the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida.
Last year, Soltis was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honors awarded to scientists in the U.S. Soltis also serves as director of the recently formed University of Florida Biodiversity Institute. A Pella native, Soltis studied biology at Central College, then completed her Ph.D. in botany from the University of Kansas. She taught 14 years at Washington State University, then joined the University of Florida faculty in 2000.
Doors to H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse open for commencement at 12:30 p.m. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform at 1:30 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.
Commencement seating in chairs and bleachers is available on a first come, first-served basis for all guests. Overflow seating for baccalaureate will be available in Graham Conference Center’s Vermeer Banquet room. 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.