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Act Six Pioneer Tim Herron to be Awarded Honorary Doctorate at Whitworth Commencement Ceremony May 19

April 29, 2019
An honorary doctorate degree will be presented to Tim Herron, Ed.D., CEO of Degrees of Change in Tacoma, Wash., and founder of the Act Six Leadership & Scholarship Initiative, at Whitworth’s 129th undergraduate commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 19, at 3 p.m. at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

Herron pioneered the Act Six initiative 17 years ago at Whitworth. It has since expanded to institutions across Washington and Oregon and even into the Midwest.

Each year, Whitworth enrolls a cadre of eight students from Spokane and the Seattle/Tacoma area who are recipients of the Act Six scholarship. The program has helped more than 950 students succeed in college and become leaders in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Michael Sardinia, Ph.D., associate professor of biology and 1987 Whitworth alumnus, will present the keynote speech, “God is Love,” to nearly 630 undergraduate degree recipients.

Seven students will receive the President’s Cup award for their exceptional academic success at Whitworth. This year’s award recipients are Levi Detrich, Alana Fujimoto, Benjamin Morledge-Hampton, Marissa Mount, Carter Nickelson, Hannah Pomante and Dorothy Wang.

The Whitworth Servant Leadership Award, which honors a graduating senior who has exhibited an extraordinary commitment to serving the campus and the larger community, will be announced during the ceremony.

Whitworth President Beck A. Taylor, Ph.D., will speak at the university’s graduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 18, at 10 a.m. in the Whitworth Fieldhouse. He will present an address, “Peacemaking,” to 137 graduate students receiving degrees in education, teaching, business administration, international management and theology.

Joshua Leim, Th.D., assistant professor of theology, was chosen by seniors as one of the most influential professors and will offer the homily for the annual baccalaureate service, on Sunday, May 19, at 10 a.m. in the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

For complete details on Commencement Weekend at Whitworth, please click here for undergraduate activities and here for graduate activities. To view a livestream of both commencement ceremonies, click here.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.