Spring 2025 Commencement at MTSU

Murphy Athletic Center

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Friday, May 9

Afternoon Ceremony: 3 p.m. Central

Degrees will be conferred to graduates in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, College of Education and College of Media and Entertainment. This ceremony includes all master’s, doctoral and undergraduate degree candidates for those academic colleges.

Speaker: Rob Payne

Dr. Rob Payne

Payne is the owner of Payne Analytics, which specializes in providing nutrition design and consulting to the animal production and pet food industries. He received his B.S. in animal science from MTSU in 1997, then earned his M.S. (2000) and Ph.D. (2004) in animal nutrition from Louisiana State University.

Before starting Payne Analytics, Payne served 20-plus years in various regional and global nutrition, marketing, and business roles for Cargill Animal Nutrition, Elanco Animal Health, and Evonik Animal Nutrition. He has served on the editorial boards for the Journal of Animal Science and Poultry Science and currently sits on the North American Board of Directors for the Digestive Physiology of Pigs Symposium. Payne also serves on the MTSU Alumni board and is the current president of the MTSU National Alumni Association.

Saturday, May 10

Morning Ceremony: 9 a.m. Central

Degrees will be conferred to graduates in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences and University College. This ceremony includes all master’s, doctoral and undergraduate degree candidates for those academic colleges.

Cameron Sexton

Speaker: Cameron Sexton

Sexton is the speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives, a position he has held since 2019. A conservative member of the Republican Party, Sexton represents District 25, which includes portions of Cumberland and Putnam counties. Elected to the House in 2011, Sexton rose through the House ranks through hard work, strong leadership, and his willingness to fight for conservative policy initiatives.

His leadership in the legislature has focused on conservative approaches to fiscal responsibility, patient-driven health care, student-based educational reforms, and safer communities and streets. As speaker, Sexton has been a staunch advocate for cutting taxes, promoting probusiness policies, and strengthening the state’s economic standing.

Afternoon Ceremony: 2 p.m. Central

Degrees will be conferred to graduates in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences and College of Liberal Arts. This ceremony includes all master’s, doctoral and undergraduate degree candidates for those academic colleges.

Speaker: Tracey Rogers

Tracey Rogers

Rogers, who has a degree in broadcast journalism from MTSU, serves as vice president with Nexstar Media Group Inc., working with multiple media markets. She served as vice president and general manager of WKRN-TV, the ABC affiliate in Nashville and also has held the position of vice president and general manager at WMC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Memphis, and KAIT-TV, the ABC affiliate in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Rogers has served as news director at WMC-TV; at WAFF-TV, the NBC affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama; and at WPSD-TV, the NBC affiliate in Paducah, Kentucky. She started her career in Nashville, where she was the assistant news director at WKRN-TV and worked at WTVF-TV, the CBS affiliate, and WSMV-TV, the NBC affiliate. Rogers has been awarded three Emmy awards, four Associated Press awards, and two Murrow awards.

Middle Tennessee State University animation major Mia Sky shows off colorful adornments on her graduation gown after walking off stage with her diploma during the afternoon commencement ceremony held for the fall graduating Class of 2024 on Saturday, Dec. 14, inside Murphy Center on campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. MTSU’s Spring 2025 commencement ceremonies will be held May 9-10. (MTSU file photo by Andy Heidt)

PLEASE NOTE: Clear bag policy in effect at Murphy Center

For those attending commencement ceremonies in person, please note that a clear bag policy is in effect at Murphy Center as follows: Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC may not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″. Gallon ziploc bags are allowed. Small clutch purses no larger than 4.5″ x 6.5″ will also be allowed in addition to a clear bag

More information for ALL students receiving degrees is available here.

WATCH LIVE:

MTSU’s Spring 2025 commencement ceremonies will air live via streaming video at www.mtsu.edu/live, https://facebook.com/mtsublueraiders and http://mtsu.edu/trueblueTV  and on local cable channels at http://mtsu.edu/trueblueTV.

You also can click on the photo above to watch the livestreams. The streams will begin about 15 minutes before the ceremony starts.

GRADUATION MISC.:

Complete news coverage, including a video and photos, from MTSU’s fall 2024 commencement ceremony is available here. Spring commencement coverage will be posted on this page after the ceremony.

After receiving the final list of graduates from the Registrar’s Office, the Office of News and Media Relations routes that list through the Merit student achievement platform for publication of all graduates on MTSU’s Merit page and creation of news releases that are distributed to the hometown media for U.S.-based students. Graduates will also be notified via email when their commencement achievement is posted to Merit, and the achievement can then be shared by graduates to their social media accounts as they choose.

Merit is available to all enrolled MTSU students and is still accessible by students after graduation to share post-graduation achievements. Learn more about Merit.

A group of proud graduates show off their degrees at the Fall 2024 commencement in Murphy Center. The Spring 2025 ceremonies are set for May 9-10. (MTSU file photo)