By K‑State News and Communications Services
Monday, May 5, 2025
Kansas State University will welcome more than 3,000 students into its ranks of alumni as degree candidates are recognized at commencement ceremonies set for Saturday, May 10, at the Salina campus and Friday, May 16, and Saturday, May 17, at the Manhattan campus.
More details on the ceremonies — including parking, accommodations and live webcast information for the Manhattan campus ceremonies — are available on the K-State graduation website.
The class of 2025, the 158th from K-State, includes approximately 2,300 bachelor’s degrees, 522 master’s degrees, 36 doctorates and seven Education Specialist degrees. Of those students, about 185 will be earning multiple degrees.
The graduates-to-be also include 480 students who are earning their degrees through a K-State Online program.
Saturday, May 10
Ceremonies kick off with K-State Salina’s commencement at 10 a.m. on May 10 at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center. Steve Reed — a leader in designing and implementing cutting-edge automation systems for manufacturing and industrial applications who retired from Kasa Industrial Controls after more than 30 years — will be the speaker.
Friday, May 16
- Air Force ROTC Detachment 270 commissioning ceremony, 8 a.m., Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union. The detachment will be commissioning 13 new 2nd Lieutenants. The guest speaker is Tysen Pina, head of the department of aviation at K-State Salina. President Linton will be in attendance.
- Army ROTC Wildcat Battalion commissioning ceremony, 10 a.m., Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union. The commissioning officer and guest speaker is U.S. Army Col. Laudino M. Castillo-Rojas, Irwin Army Community Hospital Commander.
- College of Architecture, Planning & Design, 10 a.m., Bramlage Coliseum. The speaker is D.J. Johnson, a former K-State basketball standout who has built a dynamic career that spans professional basketball, urban planning, real estate and community development.
- Graduate School,1 p.m, Bramlage Coliseum. The speaker is M. Duane Nellis, an internationally recognized scholar and national higher education leader who served nearly four decades in academia. He is currently president emeritus and a trustee professor at Ohio University. Alysia Johnston from the Kansas Board of Regents will represent the state’s higher education authority at the ceremony.
- The College of Veterinary Medicine, 3:30 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum. Brad Crauer, associate clinical professor of clinical sciences in the college, is the speaker. Crauer developed the Shelter Medicine program, where students provide free spay/neuter, medical triage and best practice management consultation to more than 30 regional animal welfare organizations. He also developed the Community Outreach program, where almost 5,000 pet families per year are provided with vaccines and wellness services.
Saturday, May 17
- College of Arts and Sciences, 8:30 a.m., Bramlage Coliseum. Beth Montelone, a professor of biology and the senior associate vice president for research at K-State, is the commencement speaker. Montelone directs the Office of Research Development, which supports and facilitates the research of K-State’s faculty, staff and students by helping coordinate multi-investigator research collaborations, professional development activities and universitywide research initiatives.
- College of Education, 11 a.m., Bramlage Coliseum. Kansas Commissioner of Education Randy Watson is the speaker and 2025 recipient of the Dan and Cheryl Yunk Award for Excellence in Educational Administration. During his tenure with the Kansas Department of Education, Watson has become known for his visionary leadership in positioning Kansas as an innovative state rethinking a century-old school model.
- College of Business Administration, 12:30 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum. The speaker is J.P. Bilbrey, a highly respected global business leader with more than four decades of experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry. Throughout his tenure as chairman, president and CEO of The Hershey Company, Bilbrey led an era of growth driven by strategic initiatives that reinforced Hershey’s position as an industry leader, strengthened its global presence and solidified its reputation as an innovator in sustainable business practices.
- College of Agriculture, 2:30 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum. J. Ernest “Ernie” Minton, Eldon Gideon dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension, is the speaker. Minton focuses on advancing the college’s legacy as one of the nation’s top academic programs and enacting K-State Research and Extension’s mission through research, outreach, engagement and economic development.
- College of Health and Human Sciences, 4:30 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum. Cynthia Kiser Murphey, an accomplished senior executive hospitality leader with more than 30 years of experience in the industry, is the speaker. Murphey is the general manager of Palms Casino Resort. As one of the first female presidents on the Las Vegas Strip, she has successfully opened four megaresorts, including the world’s largest hotel, in multiple jurisdictions, achieving record business results.
- Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, 6:30 p.m., Bramlage Coliseum. The speaker is Nick Chong, a venture partner with Fellows Fund, a venture capital group focused on empowering the next generation of artificial intelligence founders. Prior to his current role, Chong spent nearly 13 years at Zoom, starting as head of product marketing and ascending to chief customer officer, responsible for the company’s global customer support and services organization. He has an extensive background in technology, market development, product strategy and pursuit of customer satisfaction.
