Fall 2024 Commencement Set for Dec. 14

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – More than 400 students will be awarded degrees during Kutztown University's fall commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, O'Pake Fieldhouse. Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson, university president, and Dr. Lorin Basden Arnold, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, will preside.

The ceremony celebrates undergraduate and graduate degree recipients and will feature two student speakers and a faculty speaker. Reiley Walther, computer science, will serve as the graduate student speaker; Marrisa Moore, psychology, will serve as the undergraduate student speaker; Dr. Daniel Immel, professor of music, will serve as the faculty speaker.

Kutztown University will provide complete coverage, including live video, photos and more, of its commencement ceremony. A special thank you to students and professors from the Department of Cinema, Television and Media Production for teaming with the Office of University Relations to provide Saturday's live coverage. Further information on commencement coverage can be found on the commencement coverage website.

Graduate Speaker

Reiley Walther of Johannesburg, South Africa, graduates today with a Master of Science in computer science: software development, focusing on data science and artificial intelligence.

Walther earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science with a mathematics minor in 2022 from KU, graduating magna cum laude. He has also completed a graduate certificate in data analytics.

During his time at KU, Walther was a member of the Honors program, including two years as president, and chaired the New Student Services Committee on the Honors Executive Board. He worked as a student worker for the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology and as a graduate assistant lead. He also was a member of the men’s rugby team. Between his degrees, Walther worked as a mobile application developer in the oil and gas industry in Houston, Texas.

Walther continues to collaborate on active research with faculty in areas including data relationships, predictive analytics and initialization, and backpropagation of neural networks.

Undergraduate Speaker

Marrisa Moore of Sinking Spring, Pa., graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in communication studies.

While at KU, Moore served as an admissions tour guide and a student worker in the Kutztown University Honors Program. She volunteered for the University Conduct Board, Honors Advisory Council and Dream League Baseball. She is involved in the Honors Program, National Society for Leadership and Success, Psi Chi Honors Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society.

Moore interned at Confidential Counseling as a clinical intern, where she gained experience observing sex offender clients at the county, state and federal levels. She proctored mental health assessments and participated in intake examinations for incoming clients.

Moore has conducted research on “General Practitioners in the Antidepressant Crisis,” which she presented at Northeast Regional Honors Council (NRHC) 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pa., “Mental Health and Related Resources of KU Student-Athletes,” at NRHC 2024 in Albany, N.Y., and “Analyzing the Mental Health Needs of College Student-Athletes,” presented at NCHC 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in counseling at KU.

Faculty Speaker

Dr. Daniel Immel, professor of music, has taught at KU for nearly 15 years and has performed around the world. His solo and collaborative piano performances have led him to perform in the United States, Europe, Canada and Russia.

Immel’s previous appointments include a solo recitalist in the Allen Forte International Piano Festival at Yale University and a guest artist-in-residence at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, Greece. Immel was awarded the prestigious invitation to give a solo recital at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. He was a finalist at the 16th annual Vienna International Music Competition and was awarded second place in the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition in New York. His collaborations include performances with the Cypress String Quartet and saxophonist Todd Oxford at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.

Immel has also appeared with the Case Ensemble at Carnegie Hall and with the KU Wind Ensemble at the Kennedy Center. He also performed Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto with the KU Orchestra. Immel frequently lectures for the “Know Your Symphony” series in conjunction with the Reading Symphony Orchestra’s concert seasons. He also serves on the music faculty as an adjunct piano instructor in the Department of Music at Albright College.

Immel earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002. He earned a Master of Music from Indiana University Bloomington and a Bachelor of Music from Boise State University.

For more information, visit the KU commencement website.