WSC Commencement to be Held May 8
April 29, 2010 -- Western State College of Colorado (WSC) will hold its spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 8. The program begins at 10 a.m. at the WSC Mountaineer Bowl in Gunnison.
Eric Loewen, a 1983 WSC graduate, will present the commencement address. His nephew, Brett Sargent, will be among the 234 graduates participating in the ceremony.
Loewen is a nuclear engineer for GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. He has twice been featured in “Esquire” magazine’s annual “Best and Brightest” issue for his work with a nuclear reactor that uses its own waste as a fuel source. This process reduces radioactive waste, does not emit carbon dioxide and automatically shuts itself down in case of an emergency.
History professor Duane Vandenbusche will serve as the spring commencement faculty marshal. Vandenbusche has taught at Western for 48 years and is a former cross country and track and field coach.
Brittany A. Strode of Coal Creek Canyon, Colo., will present the student address. She is an English major graduating manga cum laude. Strode also will receive teacher licensure and has interned at the Gunnison High School and the Gunnison Valley School. Her involvement at Western includes participation in the Academic Leadership Program (ALPS) and Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society.
Western will confer about 251 bachelor’s degrees this semester. The college also will award a bachelor of arts degree posthumously to Adam Lockard, who passed away in a house fire in January.
