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UWPlatteville Commencement this weekend
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UW–Platteville will host its 194th commencement ceremony in Williams Fieldhouse in four parts Friday and Saturday to accommodate one of the largest graduating classes in the history of the institution. 

The School of Business and Graduate Studies will have its ceremony Friday at 7 p.m. Graduation ceremonies will continue Saturday, with the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture at 9 a.m.; College of Liberal Arts and Education at 12:30 p.m.; and College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science at 4 p.m. 

The ceremonies will be streamed live online through the UW-Platteville Media Technology Services website at www.uwplatt.edu/tvservices.

One of the largest graduating classes, 902 undergraduate candidates, will be eligible to walk across the stage during that weekend, accompanied by 128 graduate students. There will be 124 candidates from the School of Business; 281 candidates from the College of BILSA; 247 candidates from the College of EMS; and 250 candidates from the College of LAE. 

“Though every day is a great day to be a Pioneer, commencement is a day that stands out a little more than the rest,” said Chancellor Dennis J. Shields. “It is a chance for our graduates to mark their transition into the next phase of their lives, utilizing the skills, talents, techniques and knowledge that they have gained through their years here. The education that they worked so hard for will serve them well in whatever path they choose, and I wish all of our new graduates good luck as they pursue their future endeavors.” 

Elaine-Estervig Beaubien will deliver the principal speaker address at the School of Business and Graduate Studies ceremony, accompanied by Hannah Dahl, the senior speaker. Jack Borke will serve as the commencement marshal. 

Estervig-Beaubien is a UW–Platteville alumna who now works as an educator, entrepreneur and author. She is an associate professor with the School of Business at Edgewood College in Madison, and is the founder and CEO of Management Training Seminars. Through her company, she has had the opportunity to travel all over the world delivering high energy, high content presentations and seminars. 

Dahl is a business administration major with an emphasis in marketing, sales communication and management from Pecatonica, Ill. She graduated magna cum laude with an Associate of Science degree from Highland Community College before transferring to UW–Platteville. She has served as vice president of communications for the UW–Platteville chapter of the American Marketing Association.

Lana Wiese, accompanied by Maria Leighton as senior speaker, will give the principal speaker address for the College of BILSA. B.J. Reed will serve as the commencement marshal. 

Wiese is a UW–Platteville alumna and owner of Studio Gear, LLC, a party and event planning and video and film production business with locations in Milwaukee and Madison. She started her company in 1989, and it has expanded and moved locations twice before moving to its present location. She and her husband, Bob, are recipients of the 2011 College of BILSA Outstanding Alumni Award. 

Leighton is a biology and pre-medicine major who transferred from George Washington University in 2010. She is the recipient of the Biology Excellence Award, Roger L. Davies Scholarship and Gerald Gunderson Natural Science Scholarship. She also served as president of the Society of Pre-Health Students at UW–Platteville for two semesters. 

For the College of LAE, the principal speaker will be Richard Byrd, and Amanda Zasada will deliver the senior speaker address. Pat Bromely will serve as the commencement marshal. 

Byrd is a UW–Platteville alumnus and commissioner of the Wage and Investment Division of the Internal Revenue Service in Atlanta. He graduated in 1972 with a degree in criminal justice, and in 2009, was recognized with the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award. This award is the highest award a senior executive member can receive from the president of the United States and was granted to him in recognition of the stimulus check initiative he led as part of the economic recovery of President George W. Bush. 

Zasada is a fine arts-music major from Platteville. She works as a music librarian for the UW–Platteville Performing and Visual Arts Department, and has worked previously as an actress and stage manager for the Heartland Festival. She also presented her work with the Opera-2-Go workshop at Posters in the Rotunda, as well as is a founding member of the female vocal quartet When Skies Are Grey. 

Sharon Bremser will give the principal speaker address for the College of EMS, and the senior speaker will be Cassidy Krause. Phil Young will serve as the commencement marshal, and Amy Borkenhagen will give the address at the Order of the Engineer ceremony. 

Bremser is a UW–Platteville alumna and state consultant services supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Her career with WisDOT has spanned 29 years. She is also past president and board of directors member for the Women’s Transportation Seminar, an international organization dedicated to building the future of transportation through the global advancement of women. 

Krause is a mathematics major and computer science minor from Algoma. In 2011, she was the recipient of the Chancellor’s Scholarship. She has worked as a mentor in the Women in EMS Program as well as a tutor for the Math 10 and Math 15 courses. She has received opportunities to present her research in Connecticut, Texas and Nebraska, as well as in Platteville. 

 

Borkenhagen is an industrial engineering major and business administration minor from New Berlin. In addition to being a student–athlete with the UW–Platteville women’s basketball team, Borkenhagen has been involved on campus, especially with the College of EMS. She has worked as a STEM Scholars peer mentor and a Women in EMS student assistant.