Four honorary doctorates to be awarded; national arts leader to speak

The University of Missouri-Kansas City will graduate 2,510 students at a series of Spring Commencement ceremonies this week.

Also during commencement exercises, four leaders will receive honorary doctorate degrees. The honorees are Michael Kaiser, president of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C., Conservatory of Music and Dance; Jessie O. Kirksey, principal of John T. Hartman Elementary School in Kansas City, School of Education; James B. Nutter Sr., founder of James B. Nutter & Co. mortgage company School of Medicine; and John Sherman, founder of Inergy, L.P. (now Crestwood Midstream Partners L.P.), School of Education. UMKC awards the honorary degrees to those whose leadership and achievements exemplify the best of the city and university.

Students in the Class of 2014 will graduate at 12 different ceremonies beginning May 15. The ceremonies and commencement speakers for the events are as follows:

• The School of Nursing and Health Studies commencement is 2 p.m. Thursday, May 15 at Swinney Recreation Center. Speaker will be Joy Wheeler, M.P.A. ‘84, chief executive officer, Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri.
• The School of Computing and Engineering commencement is 10 a.m. Friday, May 16 at Swinney Recreation Center. Speaker will be Marvin L. Rollison (B.S.M.E, B.S.E.E ’86), vice president of safety and corporate services, KCP&L.
• The College of Arts and Sciences will have two ceremonies, both at Swinney Recreation Center on Friday, May 16. The first is at 1 p.m. and the second is at 4 p.m. Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Senior Fellow Diana Kander (B.A. ’02) will be the speaker at 1 p.m. and Kaiser will speak at 4 p.m.
• The Henry W. Bloch School of Management commencement is 7 p.m. Friday, May 16 at Swinney Recreation Center. Speaker will be E. Frank Ellis, past chairman and chief executive officer, Swope Community Enterprises.
• The School of Education commencement is 10 a.m. Saturday, May 17 at Swinney Recreation Center. Speaker will be Sherman, who also will receive his honorary doctorate, along with Kirksey.
• The Conservatory of Music and Dance commencement is 10 a.m. Saturday, May 17 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Speaker will be Kaiser, who also will receive his honorary doctorate.
• The School of Pharmacy commencement is 1 p.m. Saturday, May 17 at Swinney Recreation Center. Speaker will be David Bates (R.Ph., Pharm.D. ’93), contract pharmacist, Tsaile Health Center, Chinle Service Unit in Arizona and retired chief pharmacist, U.S. Public Health Service.
• The School of Biological Sciences commencement is 1 p.m. Saturday, May 17 at the White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center.
• The School of Law commencement is at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 17 at Swinney Recreation Center.  Speaker will be The Hon. Sly James, mayor, Kansas City.
• The School of Dentistry commencement is at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 17 at Swinney Recreation Center.
• The School of Medicine commencement is at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 22 at The Music Hall. Speaker will be William Douglas Zweig (M.D. ’80), Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, pulmonologist, Pulmonary Consultants Inc. Nutter will receive his honorary doctorate at this ceremony.