MTSU’s 2,650-plus prospective spring grads prepare for May commencement

Members of Middle Tennessee State University's fall Class of 2022 prepare to move their mortarboard tassels from right to left to signify their successful graduation during the university's Dec. 10 commencement ceremonies in Hale/Earle Arena inside Murphy Center. MTSU will award degrees to 2,658 prospective graduates during four spring 2023 commencement ceremonies planned over Friday and Saturday, May 5-6. (MTSU file photo by Andy Heidt)

Middle Tennessee State University’s 2,650-plus members of the first Class of 2023 will hear from four of their new peers when a quartet of prominent graduates returns for four spring 2023 commencement ceremonies scheduled over Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6.

Students in the university’s College of Basic and Applied Sciences will be the first to celebrate their accomplishments with family, friends and professors in a 1:30 p.m. Central ceremony on May 5 inside Murphy Center’s Hale/Earle Arena.

MTSU alumnus Bill Jones, area executive, Pinnacle Financial Partners (updated 2022) — Bill Jones

They’ll be saluted by longtime Murfreesboro banker and community leader Bill Jones, a 1982 MTSU business alumnus and Pinnacle Financial Partners area executive whose many leadership efforts include work with the city’s hospitals, the Christy-Houston Foundation philanthropy and the MTSU Foundation.

At 6 p.m. Central May 5, students in MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts and College of Media and Entertainment will receive their degrees after hearing from TV producer and entrepreneur Nic Dugger of Nashville.

MTSU alumnus Nic Dugger, owner and founder of TNDV: Television (preferred image) — Nic Dugger

Owner of TNDV: Television LLC, chief marketing officer for Live Media Group LLC and the current president of the Nashville/Mid-South chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Dugger is a 2000 MTSU mass communication graduate.

Beginning at 9 a.m. Central on May 6, graduates in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business and the University College will file into Hale/Earle Arena to receive their degrees.

MTSU alumnus Matt Crews, founder and CEO, Big Machine Music City Grand Prix — Matt Crews

Matt Crews, founder and CEO of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix and a 1991 MTSU business management alumnus, will be their guest speaker. The Nashville resident worked closely with MTSU’s School of Concrete and Construction Management to design the unique barrier system for the annual Grand Prix race through Nashville’s downtown.

And at 1:30 p.m. Central May 6, College of Behavioral and Health Sciences and College of Education graduates will receive their degrees and hear from 1973 MTSU psychology alumna Pamela Wright.

MTSU alumna Pam Wright, founder of Wright Travel and president and managing partner of Wright Development and member of the MTSU Board of Trustees (updated 2021 per PW) — Pam Wright

Wright, founder of Wright Travel, president and managing partner of Wright Development and a member of the MTSU Board of Trustees, is a Nashville resident and community leader who established and funded an endowed chair for entrepreneurship at MTSU in 2007 and created an endowed scholarship program for the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences seven years later.

The spring 2023 graduation ceremonies will celebrate an estimated 2,656 new MTSU alumni set to receive their degrees, a figure that includes 2,256 undergraduates and 400 graduate students, according to the university Registrar’s Office.

That second number includes 345 master’s degree candidates, 36 education-specialist degree recipients and 19 doctoral candidates, along with 20 graduate students who’ll receive certificates for their advanced study.

Members of MTSU's fall Class of 2022 prepare to move their mortarboard tassels from right to left to signify their successful graduation during the university's Dec. 10 commencement ceremonies in Hale/Earle Arena inside Murphy Center. MTSU presented 1,698 students with their degrees — 1,345 undergraduates and 353 graduate students — to mark the first graduation of MTSU's 112th academic year. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt) — Members of Middle Tennessee State University’s fall Class of 2022 prepare to move their mortarboard tassels from right to left to signify their successful graduation during the university’s Dec. 10 commencement in Hale/Earle Arena inside Murphy Center. MTSU will award degrees to 2,656 prospective graduates during four spring 2023 commencement ceremonies planned over Friday and Saturday, May 5-6. (MTSU file photo by Andy Heidt)

As of last December, MTSU has awarded 178,090 degrees to its students, including associate, bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degrees.

The May 5-6 ceremonies will put the total number of MTSU degrees earned at more than 180,700.

The spring 2023 commencement ceremonies will include all master’s, education specialist, doctoral and undergraduate degree candidates from all MTSU’s colleges. Graduate degree recipients will participate with their academic college instead of in a separate ceremony for the College of Graduate Studies.

All ceremonies will be open to the public. MTSU no longer requires masks indoors, but they’re still welcomed and encouraged for those who prefer to wear them, as is social distancing for health safety.

MTSU biology professor David Nelson carefully arranges Aarthi Subramani's new doctoral hood over her academic cap to signify her completion of her Ph.D. in molecular biosciences in Hale/Earle Arena inside Murphy Center during the university's Dec. 10 commencement ceremonies. MTSU presented 1,698 students with their degrees — 1,345 undergraduates and 353 graduate students — to mark the first graduation of its 112th academic year. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt) — MTSU biology professor David Nelson carefully arranges Aarthi Subramani’s new doctoral hood over her academic cap to signify her completion of her Ph.D. in molecular biosciences in Hale/Earle Arena inside Murphy Center as Dr. Laurie Witherow, right, associate vice provost for admissions and enrollment services, looks on during the university’s Dec. 10 commencement. MTSU will present degrees to spring 2023 graduates in four ceremonies held over two days, Friday and Saturday, May 5-6. (MTSU file photo by Andy Heidt)

Ceremonies available online, on TV

Friends, families and supporters who can’t attend in person can watch the ceremonies live on the university’s livestream channel and on the university’s Facebook page. Online commencement coverage will begin about 15 minutes before each ceremony starts.

The events also will be broadcast on MTSU’s True Blue TV station on local cable channels and at https://mtsu.edu/TrueBlueTV. Each of this spring’s commencement ceremonies is expected to last about two hours.

The university will provide closed-captioning services for the live video streams as well as American Sign Language interpretation on-site at the ceremonies.

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee will briefly address each group of graduates after welcoming them and their guests.

The official spring 2023 commencement program, listing all the graduates by college as well as providing more details on the guest speakers, is available at https://bit.ly/MTSpring2023GradProgram.

A campus map with parking information is available at http://bit.ly/MTSUParking. A seating chart of Murphy Center, including access for guests with disabilities, is available at https://ow.ly/TCkd30ld2PQ.

Driving directions, along with more extensive graduation details for students and guests, are available anytime at https://mtsu.edu/graduation and https://mtsunews.com/graduation-info.

MTSU’s final examinations get underway this Friday, April 28, and conclude Thursday, May 4, with the official end of the spring semester. Summer 2023 classes at MTSU begin Monday, May 22.

For updates on MTSU anytime, visit https://mtsu.edu or https://MTSUNews.com.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)