UWM to hold virtual commencement on Dec. 20

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will award more than 1,800 degrees in a virtual ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 20.

The ceremony will go live on YouTube at 10 a.m. Dec. 20. At that time, a link will become available on UWM’s graduation page.

The ceremony is being held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The university will present 1,422 bachelor’s degrees, 341 master’s degrees, 73 doctoral degrees, 20 flexible option degrees and 78 associate degrees. The oldest bachelor’s degree recipient is 63, while the youngest is 19. The oldest associate degree recipient is 67; the youngest is 16.

STUDENT SPEAKER: The student speaker will be Saudiel Benitez Jr., who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Letters and Science.

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER: Michele Bria

Michelle Bria has served for 24 years as CEO of Journey House, a community-based organization in Milwaukee that empowers families to move out of poverty by offering adult education, workforce readiness, youth development and family engagement programs. Bria convenes over 280 partnerships with local universities, community organizations and corporations to implement lifelong learning, workforce development and youth development programs that increase the quality of life in Milwaukee neighborhoods. Journey House annually serves more than 9,000 low-income, urban youth and families.

Bria has held several teaching positions, given numerous lectures and received numerous local and state civic proclamations and awards, including the 2017 Martin Luther King Legacy Award for Service, 2016 Donald Driver Driven to Achieve Award and 2014 Business Journal Women of Influence Award. She is a member of many professional organizations and serves as an executive board officer for Milwaukee Public Library (board president), Bublr Bikes (board president), Menomonee Valley Partners (board secretary), Froedtert Hospital (board trustee, chair of community engagement), United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee (founding board member), Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership Council (chairman) and Milwaukee Public Library Foundation Board (trustee).

The first person in her family to attend college, Bria received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Marquette University and earned her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

The numbers of degrees awarded by UWM schools and colleges are below. The numbers include bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, associate and flex degrees.

College of Letters and Science: 475

Lubar School of Business: 311

College of Engineering & Applied Science: 203

College of Nursing: 137

School of Information Studies: 134

College of Health Sciences: 126

School of Education: 120

Helen Bader School of Social Welfare: 120

Peck School of the Arts: 109

College of General Studies: 78

School of Architecture & Urban Planning: 47

Zilber School of Public Health: 6

School of Freshwater Sciences: 5

Global Studies Interdisciplinary: 5

Joint Programs L&S and CEAS: 3

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.