Kutztown University to Celebrate 2023 Spring Commencement May 12-13

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – More than 1,100 students will be awarded degrees during Kutztown University's spring commencement ceremonies May 12-13, at O'Pake Fieldhouse. Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson, university president, and Dr. Lorin Basden Arnold, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, will preside.

Commencement coverage (pictures, video, links)

Graduate students will receive their degrees at 5 p.m., Friday, May 12, including nine doctoral candidates. Emonie Reviere, clinical mental health, will serve as the graduate student speaker and Dr. Sharon Lyter, professor of social work, will represent the faculty.

Undergraduate students in the Colleges of Education and Liberal Arts and Sciences will graduate at 9 a.m., Saturday, May 13. Amelia Fair, secondary education social studies and special education, will represent the student body and Dr. Jennefer Gehringer, assistant professor of elementary education, will serve as the faculty speaker.

Undergraduate students in the Colleges of Business and Visual and Performing Arts will graduate at 2 p.m., Saturday, May 13. Morgan Harrar, communication studies, will serve as the student speaker and Josh Miller, associate professor of art and design, will serve as the faculty speaker. KU will present an honorary doctorate to Sandra L. Corpora ’69 and Placido “Pat” A. Corpora at Saturday afternoon's ceremony.

Emonie Reviere of Sinking Spring, Pa., graduates with a Master of Arts in clinical mental health. She gained extensive clinical experience as a counseling intern at Muhlenberg College as well as a counseling practicum at Our Whole Living, LLC, working with clients who deal with anxiety, depression, adjustment to college and trauma. Reviere also worked as a graduate assistant at KU's Multicultural Center and as an assistant director at Stepping Stones Academy-Reading, where she supervised up to 20 children.

Reviere has received recognition for her achievements, including the Graduate Social Justice Award from KU and the Chi Sigma Iota and Omicron Delta Kappa Society and Educational Foundation, Inc. awards. She has volunteered at the Pennsylvania Counseling Association (PCA) Conference and presented on topics such as fostering resiliency in the wake of trauma and empowering clients to financial wellness. Reviere is an active member of PCA and the American Counseling Association, demonstrating her commitment to the advancement of the field. This fall, she will pursue her Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Dr. Sharon Lyter is a professor of social work and the program director for KU’s Doctor of Social Work. She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with a Master of Social Work from Temple University and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Lyter has focused her research and publications on psychopathology and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, substance use disorders, social worker safety and risk management, trauma history and resilience among helping professionals. She has been involved with professional organizations such as the Council on Social Work Education, the Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors, the National Association of Social Workers and the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE). She recently presented a lecture at GADE’s annual conference in Texas on the topic of the mental health crisis, graduate student mental health challenges and resilience strategies.

Lyter serves in an editorial role in publications and journals such as the Journal of Teaching in Social Work, the Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work and the Field Educator. Her dedication to research and professional involvement has established her as an authority in the field of social work, making her an excellent resource for students and fellow researchers alike. Her most recent journal article, “Assess and address vestiges of childhood trauma in the social work classroom,” was published in Social Work Research.

Amelia Fair of Lititz, Pa., graduates with a Bachelor of Science in education, specializing in secondary education social studies and special education. She has an extensive teaching background that includes field experiences and placements across high schools and middle schools in different districts. She taught diverse subjects such as U.S. history, English language arts and mathematics, as well as facilitating program curriculum to students with various learning disabilities.

Fair has been actively involved in various campus activities, including serving as vice president and president of the Presidential Ambassadors, a member of the PDS Cohort Three Program, Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society and NSLS. She also held several employment positions, including working in the Office of the President as a student staff member, where she assisted with calls, correspondence and residential receptions. Fair’s diverse teaching experience and involvement in extracurricular activities reflect her commitment to providing a holistic learning experience for her students.

Dr. Jennefer Gehringer is an assistant professor of elementary education who holds a Doctor of Education in reading, a Master of Science in education and a Bachelor of Science in elementary education. She has served in various roles within the university, having previously held the position as kindergarten teacher at Kutztown's laboratory school located on campus. Gehringer has also been a member of several committees at KU and serves on the University Senate. She has participated in outreach initiatives, including volunteering for Youth Mental Health First Aid.

Gehringer's dedication to improving education for all students is a testament to her expertise and commitment to the field. Her passion for teaching is demonstrated by her enthusiasm in every aspect of her work. With her wealth of experience and unwavering commitment to education, Gehringer is an exceptional educator who inspires and motivates her students to reach their full potential.

Morgan Harrar of Pottstown, Pa., graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies. Throughout her time at KU, Harrar has been involved in projects that allowed her to showcase her skills and knowledge in the field. For her senior capstone thesis, she conducted an intensive research study on the ways in which social media affects college-aged teens' body image through a series of semi-structured interviews, based on social comparison theory. Additionally, as part of a course, she designed a social media strategy for an artificial company catered to individual social media platforms, which included an in-depth SWOT analysis, mock posts and targeted audience research.

Harrar gained experience as a social media marketing intern at the KU Small Business Development Center. She interned at Cashman and Associates, a Philadelphia-based organization where she played a pivotal role in drafting press releases and assisting with client and event coordination. Harrar’s other accomplishments include serving as the KU Dance Team president, making the Dean's List both Spring and Fall semesters (2022), earning the Kutztown University Board of Scholars Scholarship, writing for HerCampus Kutztown and former local titleholder for the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Scholarship Organization.

Josh Miller is an associate professor of art and design. A native of Illinois, Miller's teaching and professional creative practice operate at the intersection of art, design and software development. Since earning his Master of Arts in computer science and Master of Fine Arts in new media from Lehigh University, he has taught courses in web and graphic design, video game design, creative coding, user experience and application development.

Outside of the classroom, he develops interactive installations and user-focused online experiences, exhibiting his work both locally and internationally. Miller has exhibited work in Malmo, Sweden, the Institute for Contemporary Art in South Korea and most recently, a 10-day light festival in Scottsdale, Arizona, attended by more than 200,000 people. Miller encourages students to think creatively and analytically as they navigate technology as an expressive, artistic tool.