The 800 UW-Platteville students intending to graduate will participate in UW-P’s 182nd commencement on May 9.

There will be two ceremonies held, one at 9:30 a.m. for people graduating from the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture, and another ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. for graduates of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science and the  College of Liberal Arts Education.

The first ceremony will be started by Commencement Marshal Michael Lewis, who is a professor of music. The commencement speaker for the first ceremony will be Robert Brodbeck, who graduated in 1972 with a degree in business administration. The ceremony will also include a valedictory speech from Derek Dietmeir, who intends to graduate with a degree in business administration.

The second ceremony’s commencement marshal will be Laurel Skrede, former director of campus police. There will also be valedictory speeches from Steven Prouty, who intends to graduate from EMS with a degree in civil engineering, and Eugene Woehrle, who intends to graduate from LAE with a degree in criminal justice. The commencement speaker will be Fred Jaekle, who graduated in 1967 with a degree in comprehensive business and economics.

There will also be four alumni honored at the ceremonies: Elmer Colyer, Gail Harvey Kempfer, Diana Leland and Gene Lester. Colyer graduated in 1981 and is now a professor of theology at the University of Dubuque. Kempfer graduated in 1964 and won the Crystal Apple Award for outstanding educators in 1991. Leland graduated in 1974 and was the recipient of H. Noble Lifetime Achievement Award in choral art. Lester graduated in 1974 and is now a lead scientist and reasearch plant physiologist for the United States Department of Agriculture.

No tickets are required for the service but seating will be on a first come first serve basis.