IRON MOUNTAIN -?Chris Ayers, a popular Hollywood character designer, digital artist, author and illustrator, was St. Norbert College’s commencement speaker on Sunday, May 18, at 1:30 p.m. in Schuldes Sports Center on the college’s De Pere campus. Ayers also received the President’s Medal from his alma mater.

Jay Williams, chair of the St. Norbert College board of trustees, authorized the conferring of master’s and baccalaureate degrees; St. Norbert College president Thomas Kunkel awarded the degrees and diplomas with the assistance of Jeffrey Frick, dean of the college and academic vice president. There were 524 students in the 2014 graduating class, including 516 candidates for baccalaureate degrees and 8 candidates for master’s degrees.

The Right Reverend Gary J. Neville, O.Praem., Abbot, St. Norbert Abbey, delivered the benediction.

The student speaker at commencement was graduating senior Abby Gildernick of De Pere, Wis.

The national anthem was sung by graduating senior Clara Rose of Milwaukee, Wis., while graduating senior Taylor Jadin of Algoma, Wis., serving as student honor conductor.

Local graduates include:

Iron Mountain – Ariel Bloniarz, bachelor of business administration, summa cum laude; Emily Patterson, bachelor of business administration, summa cum laude; Kendall Tadych, bachelor of arts, summa cum laude;

Kingsford – Kelly Doughman, bachelor of arts; Daniel Giordanelli, bachelor of music;

Niagara, Wis. – Roberta Parent, bachelor of business administration, cum laude.

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Frances Katherine Rulh of Iron Mountain, business undergraduate, been named to the dean’s list at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the Spring 2014 semester. UWM is the second largest university in the state of Wisconsin, with approximately 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

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This winter semester, 2,011 students from Saginaw Valley State University were named to the deans’ list.

To be eligible for the deans’ list, a student must take at least 12 credit hours and carry a semester GPA of 3.4 or better. Area students include: Jackie Luthardt of Iron Mountain and Joseph Tomassoni of Iron Mountain.

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Gregory Schram of Gladstone has been included on the dean’s list for the summer 2014 semester at Lake Superior State University’s Escanaba Regional Center. Schram is earning his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. To make the dean’s list, students must achieve a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

“Summer is never an easy semester to focus on your studies so I’m especially proud of Greg’s accomplishments,” said Heidi Baumgartner, director of the LSSU Escanaba Regional Center at Bay College.

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Benjamin Cherney of Norway was named to the dean’s list at Olivet Nazarene University during the spring 2014 semester.

To qualify for inclusion on the dean’s list, a student must have been enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student and must have attained a semester grade point average of 3.50 or higher on a 4.00 grading scale.

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Students in the School of Health Promotion and Human Development at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point were honored for academic achievement.

David Hebert of Iron River, received a $500 Marlene and Dick Cable Scholarship.

A junior majoring in health promotion and wellness, Hebert is a graduate of West Iron County High School. At UW-Stevens Point he is on the cross country and track and field teams.

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Concordia University Wisconsin officials have released the spring Honors List for the 2013-14 academic year.

To be eligible for the honor, students must achieve a minimum 3.50 GPA.

Among the area students named to the list were:

Crystal Falls – Catherine Austin, sophomore, chemistry

Iron Mountain – Marissa Menghini, sophomore, elementary education;

Kingsford – Ashley Giguere, junior, special education early to mid adolescence; Chelsea Hyland, senior, athletic training.

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University officials have announced that more than 4,558 students received academic honors for the semester that ended in May at Ferris State University and Kendall College of Art and Design.

To be eligible for Academic Honors, the minimum requirements for full-time students each term are: 3.5 GPA and completion of 12 FSU credit hours or more of graded course work at the 100 level or higher. The minimum requirements for part-time students each term are: 3.5 GPA with completion of at least 12 accumulated FSU credit hours of graded course work at the 100 level or higher.

Local students:

Iron Mountain – Evan Kleikamp, Andrea Forsberg, Amanda Grismer, Taylor Schettler, Jennifer Bafile, Sadie Palomaki, Adam Tedeschi, Marcus Harry, Casandra Ebertsch, Carlie Gakstatter, Alexandra Lebo, Bradley Edlund, Christopher Rhode;

Kingsford – Elaine Munn;

Daggett – Julianne Freis;

Vulcan – Gregory Schilz, Jeremy Truitt, Melissa Urbanc, Ryan Pfeiffer;

Crystal Falls – Taylor Hooper, Caitlin Seppala.

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Some 1,949 students completed the requirements for certificates, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees at Ferris State University and Kendall College of Art and Design during the semester that ended in May.

Students graduating with honors were recognized for high academic achievement on the basis of GPAs computed on a 4.0 scale. Undergraduate degree designations use Latin levels of recognition: summa cum laude, 3.9 to 4.0; Magna cum laude, 3.75 to 3.89 and cum laude, 3.5 to 3.74.

Academic honors designations for students graduating with a master’s degree in the colleges of Health Professions, Business and Education and Human Services use the following distinction key: highest distinction, 3.9 to 4.0; and distinction, 3.75 to 3.89. Students receiving their doctorate degree from the Michigan College of Optometry and the College of Pharmacy use the English system: highest distinction, 3.75 to 4.0; high distinction, 3.5 to 3.74; and distinction, 3.25 to 3.49. Kendall students’ levels of recognition are academic honors, 3.5 to 4.0 and studio excellence award.

Local students include:

Iron Mountain – Adam Tedeschi, pharmacy, doctor of pharmacy; Stephen Laydon, graphic design, bachelor of science, cum laude; Gregory Nelson, building construction tech, associates in applied science; Bradley Edlund, architecture and sustainability, bachelor of science, magna cum laude;

Quinnesec – Seth Barrons, general business, associates in applied science;

Vulcan – Gregory Schilz, biology, bachelor of science, summa cum laude; Jeremy Truitt, pharmacy, doctor of pharmacy; Maria Fontana, pre-science, associates degree.

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Central Michigan University has announced its list of May graduates. Students from the area:

Felch – Brandon Lindeman, doctorate of physical therapy;

Iron Mountain – Andrew Swartout, doctorate of physical therapy;

Kingsford – Brendan Tuchowski, bachelor of science;

Norway – Brooke Casanova, bachelor of science degree; Jacob Pollock, bachelor of science;

Crystal Falls – Serena Cram, master of business administration; Nikos Kosmopoulos, bachelor of science in business administration;

Iron River – Eric Stafford, bachelor of science.

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Central Michigan University’s spring semester honors list includes local students who have earned 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) and higher grade point averages. They are:

Iron Mountain – Audrey Laurila, Emilia Tomassucci, Alexis Truscott;

Kingsford -Caitlin Aderman, Brendan Tuchowski;

Norway – Brian Hewlett, Shane Wery;

Crystal Falls – Megan Pacer, Audrey Sholander;

Iron River – Megan Angeli, Tori Ivey;

Daggett – Kristi Raboin;

Powers – Elizabeth Gorzinski.

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Elizabeth Gudwer of Hermansville has been named to the University of Cincinnati students dean’s list recognition for summer 2013-14.

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University of Wisconsin Oshkosh officials have announced the names of students who received undergraduate and graduate degrees following the spring semester of the 2013-14 school year.

Graduates were able to receive their degrees at the University’s spring commencement ceremony in May and had degrees conferred over the summer.

Those graduating cum laude earned at least a 3.5 grade point average (GPA) out of a possible 4.0; those graduating magna cum laude earned at least a 3.75 (GPA); and those graduating summa cum laude earned at least a 3.9 GPA.

Students area:

Iron Mountain – David Robert Coleman, bachelor of science human services, human services leadership;

Niagara, Wis. – Danielle Marie Beauchamp, bachelor of science, kinesiology (exercise and fitness), cum laude.