The newsletter for the WKU community -- May 7, 2025 | |
President's Message:
Commencement Activities This Week
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Dear Colleagues,
Thank you to all those who have worked to plan our
Commencement and College Recognition Ceremony activities this week. These events will bring thousands of visitors and significant traffic to our Hill. If you do not plan to attend Commencement on Thursday, I encourage you to conclude your workday early and depart campus by 3:30 p.m. Additionally, I ask that all supervisors implement flexible working arrangements to the extent possible on Friday, allowing offices to remain open and supported by minimal staff on campus, with the majority of staff working remotely. As always, please refer to our Parking and Transportation website for information about alternate traffic patterns. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us to ease campus congestion.
As summer approaches, I encourage you to embrace whatever this season holds – continued teaching, exploration through travel, growth through professional pursuits or simply some much-needed rest. May the weeks ahead offer a chance to step back, reflect on our collective accomplishments and look ahead with fresh energy for the coming academic year.
| | Dr. Manohar Chidurala, Instructor II of Mechanical Engineering, has received the 2025 Outstanding Student Section Advisor award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Learn More | |
Finals Week and End of Semester Updates
As we conclude the 2024–25 academic year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the collective accomplishments that have made this a truly outstanding year for Western Kentucky University. Our mission to serve students, advance knowledge, and enrich our region continues to be powered by your commitment, creativity, and resilience.
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Renderings unveiled for historic Cherry Hall
WKU revealed renovation plans today for the historic Cherry Hall. The renovation project will preserve the history of WKU’s most iconic building, while modernizing the facility to enhance teaching, learning, research, and engagement for future generations of Hilltoppers.
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Yaste earns degree in Health Sciences
Ethan Yaste, a Kentucky native and senior at WKU, graduates this week with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences.
| | | May 2025 Staff Star Award Recipients | | The WKU Staff Senate recognized the Christopher Ware Staff Star Award recipients during its meeting this morning. The May 2025 recipients are Bailey Cooke, Social Work; Joshua Deal, Ricoh; and Nicole Steele, Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning. The Staff Senate's next meeting will begin at 10 a.m. June 4 at Jody Richards Hall, room 242. More: Submit a Staff Star nomination. | |
2025 wettest start to the year on record
So far, 2025 is the wettest year on record for the state of Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Climate Center,
preliminary rainfall statistics from across Kentucky indicate that January – April 2025 is the wettest such period in the 130-year climate record of the state.
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Agriculture students travel to Germany
WKU Agriculture students recently presented original research on equine dentistry at the renowned Internationale Gesellschaft zur Funktionsverbesserung der Pferdezahne e.V. Kongress (IGFP), held in Wiesbaden, Germany.
| | | | | Grad Spotlight: Uthman A. Rasaq | Uthman A. Rasaq, a first-generation and international graduate student from Saki, Oyo State, Nigeria, who completed his Master of Science in Mathematics with a concentration in Computational Mathematics in December, is the 2024-2025 recipient of WKU’s John D. Minton Graduate Student Award, WKU’s top graduate student award. | | |
WKU grad participates in applied learning
As someone deeply interested in languages, cultures and archaeology, I knew mastering Chinese would open doors to research opportunities, particularly in East Asia."
For graduating senior Gwendolyn (Gigi) Lamb, the Chinese Flagship Program at WKU felt like a natural fit for achieving her aspirations.
Sponsored by The Language Flagship, an initiative of the National Security Education Program within the Defense Language and National Security Education Office, WKU's program is one of eight nationwide focused on Chinese.
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WKU MPA celebrates 50th anniversary
WKU Department of Political Science recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Master of Public Administration at WKU.
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Political Science welcomes new professor
The Department of Political Science welcomes their newest faculty member, Teresa Kirby, who will be teaching in the Professional Legal Studies program and has been invited to serve as the faculty advisor for the Pre-Law Student Association for the 2025-2026 academic year.
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Graduate pursues his passion for music
For Will Mason-Walker, music has always been more than just a passion—it’s been a part of his identity.
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WKU Grad blends art and architecture
For Abby Abrams, art and architecture are more than fields of study; they are ways of seeing and shaping the world. She chose WKU not only for its familiar beauty, but for the academic opportunities that would allow her to grow as both a creative and a future architect.
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Former boilermaker forges new path
“I like the fact that you can answer questions about things that were previously unanswerable,” Andrew S. Jackson, a senior originally from Beaver Dam, said about his field of study.
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From Gatton, to GFCB, to Grad School
When Logan Stewart first stepped foot on the Hill in Fall 2020, things looked a little different—masked faces, online classes, and a whole lot of uncertainty.
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WKU in Glasgow Celebrates Graduates
WKU in Glasgow honored graduates during the 2025 Graduand Recognition Ceremony on April 28 at the TJ Health Pavilion Community Room.
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WKU in Owensboro Celebrates Graduates
WKU in Owensboro proudly celebrated its 2024-2025 graduates with a heartfelt Graduate Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday evening at Blandford Hall on the Owensboro Community & Technical College campus.
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Elizabethtown/Ft. Knox honors grads
WKU in Elizabethtown/Ft. Knox proudly celebrated its 2024–25 graduates during the annual “Celebrating YOU” Recognition Ceremony on the evening of April 30 at the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College auditorium.
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WKU in Somerset honors graduates
WKU in Somerset held its annual Graduate Recognition Ceremony on Monday, May 5 celebrating the accomplishments of the Spring/Summer 2025 graduating class.
| | | Check out the latest WKU Week in Photos from Clinton Lewis, WKU Communications & Marketing, showcasing the fun of Rage-N-Relax, students enjoying our beautiful campus, and the WKU PBS documentary film viewing of Jonesville: When Sunflowers Fall. | Commencement Event Parking | Commencement is Thursday in Houchens-Industries L.T. Smith Stadium. Visit www.wku.edu/eventparking for live updates on parking availability. More: Parking information for College Recognition Ceremonies on Friday. | | | |
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WKU Fashion Show
WKU’s College of Health and Human Services' IDFM 432 Fashion Merchandising class will host a fashion show today at 6:30 p.m. in the DSU Auditorium. Learn More
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Board of Regents
The WKU Board of Regents will enter closed session at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow immediately followed by committee meetings in the Martin Regents Room of Jody Richards Hall. After the conclusion of the committee meetings, the Board will conduct a special called meeting. Learn More
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Strong Community, Strong Coffee 2025
Bowling Green Strong Community, Strong Coffee 2025 will feature Rebekah Ison, Doodles by Rebekah. The networking event begins at 9 a.m. Thursday at WKU Innovation Campus, room 129 located at 2413 Nashville Road. Learn More
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