Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, interim chancellor of West Virginia’s Higher Education Policy Commission and chancellor of the Community and Technical College System, will be the commencement speaker at West Liberty University’s fall 2019 commencement ceremony.
A Wheeling native, Tucker is the daughter of Paul Tucker and the late Cathy Mitchell Armstrong.
The ceremony begins at 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, in the Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex (ASRC). President Stephen Greiner will preside at the ceremony and will present Dr. Tucker with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
“We are fortunate to have Dr. Tucker join us for our December ceremony. She is a champion for West Virginia students and supports higher education in many ways and at many levels. We are honored by her presence,” Greiner said.
Upon becoming interim chancellor of HEPC in April 2019, Tucker has emphasized West Virginia’s Climb initiative, a campaign to equip 60 percent of West Virginians with a certificate or degree by 2030 — nearly doubling the percentage of working-age West Virginians with a high-quality postsecondary credential. Bolstering this effort, the HEPC has launched the Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars program, which is aimed at attracting high-quality educators to communities across the state and represents West Virginia’s largest-dollar financial aid award.
During the ceremony, Greiner also will confer degrees upon graduates, which include those completing requirements during fall and summer terms. One hundred and sixty-three students are expected to graduate.
Senior Robert C. Moore, of Martins Ferry, Ohio, will be the student speaker. He is graduating from the College of Arts and Communication and is currently student teaching at Bellaire High School.
A music educator and percussionist, Moore previously earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance on the Hilltop in 2017. He then took a semester off before returning to complete his second bachelor’s degree, this time in music education.
Moore was a member of the WLU Steel Band and also was an assistant drumline instructor with the Marching Hilltoppers this year.
Other graduating seniors, with the highest grade point average in each respective college, carry their college banner and include:
The Main Street Bank video board will offer a live feed of the ceremony with close-ups of graduates as they pick up their diplomas. The ceremony will be streamed live at topperstation.com and on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter live.
Doors will open for seating at 9:30 a.m., and tickets are not required. A reception for graduates, guests and families will be held in the College Union immediately following the ceremony.
