More than 1,600 students will be honored at Northern Kentucky University’s Spring Commencement May 13 and 14.
“Celebrating our students’ academic success is one of my great privileges as President,” said NKU President Geoffrey S. Mearns. “On behalf of the entire University community, I congratulate our graduates and look forward to sharing this special day with them, their families, and their friends.”
Those in attendance will hear from a retired federal judge who spent two decades on the bench following a distinguished career as a federal prosecutor.
John Gleeson was appointed as a United States District Judge in 1994.
Gleeson was a law clerk for Boyce Martin on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 1980 to 1981 and was in private practice Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City from 1981 to 1985.
As an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York from 1985 to 1994 he prosecuted Mafia cases, including one that resulted in the conviction of Gambino crime boss John Gotti.
In 2012, Gleeson spoke at the installment of Mearns as president at NKU. Mearns was a federal prosecutor during the time Gleeson served as a U.S. District Judge.
A NKU alumna who found post-graduate success in Hollywood and now returns to celebrate the retirement of her mother, Sandra Forman, who was the first chair of NKU’s Theatre Department, will also speak.
Regan Forman is currently Vice President, Creative Strategy/Editorial at Nickelodeon. Her film credits include “Enough” starring Jennifer Lopez and she was featured on Grey’s Anatomy during the show’s first season.
Originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, Forman came to NKU on a full drama scholarship, and two years later, her mother accepted a faculty job at NKU.
Regan Forman worked in New York and North Carolina after graduation before settling in Los Angeles.
Graduates will also hear from two of their peers including, Kadori Ngirabakunzi a single mother of three from Wisconsin who overcame a great deal of personal adversity to achieve her dream of becoming a nurse.
Daniel Ginn is the Outstanding Senior of the Organizational Leadership program here at Northern Kentucky University, and is graduating Cum Laude with an Honors Distinction. He will speak of the journey that led him to find a home and identity at NKU and become one of the NKU’s finest student leaders.
In order that every graduate from each of the University’s six colleges may cross the stage and be recognized, three Commencement ceremonies will be held:
· Friday, May 13, 6 p.m.: Chase College of Law
Commencement speaker: The Hon. John Gleeson, retired U.S. District Judge from the Eastern District of New York and the nationally-acclaimed lead federal prosecutor in the 1992 trial of John Gotti, head of the Gambino crime syndicate.
An honorary Doctor of Laws degree will be bestowed upon Judge Gleeson.
· Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m.: College of Education and Human Services, College of Health Professions, College of Informatics
· Commencement speaker: The Hon. John Gleeson, retired U.S. District Judge from the Eastern District of New York and the nationally-acclaimed lead federal prosecutor in the 1992 trial of John Gotti, head of the Gambino crime syndicate.
Student speaker: Kadori Ngirabakunzi, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, College of Health Professions
· Saturday, May 14, 3 p.m.: College of Arts and Sciences, Haile/US Bank College of Business
Commencement speaker: NKU alumna Regan Forman (’93), Vice President of Creative Strategy & Planning at Nickelodeon and daughter of Theatre Professor Sandra Forman, who retires this month after 25 years at NKU.
Student speaker: Danny Ginn, Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership, College of Arts and Sciences.
All ceremonies will be held at BB&T Arena on NKU’s Highland Heights campus. No tickets are necessary, and doors will open one hour prior to each ceremony. Parking is free of charge, and complimentary shuttle service will be provided from Lots E and L.
Chase College of Law will also hold a pre-Commencement reception for graduates and their families at 4 p.m. Friday.
For those who are unable to attend Commencement, the ceremonies will be broadcast live online here.
Northern Kentucky University and NKy Tribune staff