Marian University is proud to announce that Dr. Mercy Obeime will deliver the 74th annual commencement address on Saturday, May 7, 2011.

Obeime is the director for community and global health at Franciscan St. Francis Health and founder of the Mercy Foundation, a charitable organization which provides healthcare outreach and education to people in her homeland of Nigeria. In 2010, Mercy Foundation merged these programs with The Timmy Foundation, creating that organization’s fifth-largest international outreach program, Mercy Medical Missions. Obeime will receive an honorary degree of doctor of public service during the commencement ceremony.

 

The university has 484 candidates for degrees this year. For the first time, the university will confer degrees on students who studied nursing online in the accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree program. For the ninth time, master’s degrees will be conferred; 99 students will receive the master of arts in teaching; 169 adult students will earn accelerated business administration degrees from Marian’s Adult Programs.

 

The university will also award the first bachelor of arts degree in photography to Jessica Spink of Indianapolis. She studied under Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Bill Foley, who is a professor at Marian University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two other individuals will receive honorary degrees on May 7.

Sr. Lavonne Long, OSF '48 is a retired teacher, principal, and guidance counselor who worked for Scecina Memorial High School for 36 years. She is a Marian University graduate and former trustee. Sr. Lavonne will receive an honorary doctor of divinity.	Michael Simmons is a former high school teacher who built a successful career as an IT systems engineer and executive for such firms as AFNB, Fidelity Investments, Bank of America, Bank of Boston, and Security Capital Group. He will receive an honorary doctor of business administration.