Muskingum News

Muskingum celebrated the Class of 2025 on May 10, 2025.

Graduating seniors shared a toast with faculty and staff at the Senior Toast at 5 p.m. in the Chess Center to start off the celebrations the week before.

The traditional Baccalaureate was held in Brown Chapel at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. The theme of the 2025 service was “Cultivating Kindness."

The Graduate Hooding Ceremony immediately followed in the chapel. The master’s degree candidates received their hoods from their program directors, with President Susan Hasseler and Chair of the Board of Trustees Cheryl Hetrick Carpenter ’86 offering remarks.

The centerpiece of the weekend was the Commencement Ceremony, held at 2 p.m. in the Steele Center. Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Arts in Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, and Master of Organizational Leadership degrees were granted.

Harold W. Burlingame '62 delivered the Commencement Address and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Hal, Trustee Emeritus of Muskingum University, spent over 40 years with AT&T, holding leadership roles including Executive Vice President of Public Relations and Human Resources, where he guided the company through major transitions and pioneered influential workplace policies. He is President of the Innovation Resource Center for Human Resources and a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources. Hal received a Distinguished Alumni Service Award and was inducted into the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges Hall of Excellence. A Muskingum trustee since 1985, he served over 25 years as Board Chair and remained active until his retirement in April 2025. At Muskingum, he earned a B.A. in Speech Communication and founded the campus radio station WMCO.

Assistant Professor of Theatre Cassie King '10 presented the Charge from the faculty, Senior Class Representative Amber Bowering ’25 presented the Charge to her classmates, Chair Carpenter presented the Charge from the Board of Trustees, and President Hasseler concluded the ceremony with the President’s Charge.

Retiring faculty members Associate Professor of Music Harsha Abeyaratne, Professor of Religion Peter Gosnell, Interim Director of Graduate Teacher Education Barb Hansen, Professor of History Bil Kerrigan, Associate Professor of Computer Science Alisa Neeman, Professor of Economics Joseph Nowakowski, Associate Professor of Biology Oluwatoyin Osunsanya, Professor of Communication Deborah Phillips, Professor of Sociology Sandra Schroer, Assistant Professor of Computer Science Jay Shaffstall, Professor of Art Yan Sun, Associate Professor of Geology Stephen Van Horn, and Director and Chair of Nursing Cynthia Wilkins were recognized during the ceremony.

Following the commencement exercises, Muskingum’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates were welcomed into their profession with the Nursing Pinning Ceremony in Brown Chapel at 4:30 p.m. The Pinning Ceremony began with the light of knowledge representing the passing of knowledge and wisdom from one generation of nurses to the next. Nursing students were pinned by their loved one who supported them on this journey followed by a special blessing as they begin the next chapter healing, nurturing and saving lives.

The Commencement Ceremony is available to view online. Congratulations, Class of 2025!