College of Health Sciences Celebrates Fall 2019 Commencement
On the evening of December 14, 2019, the College of Health Sciences celebrated the matriculation of 126 summer and fall 2019 graduates who chose to participate in commencement. In total, CHS had nearly 150 summer graduates and fall degree candidates across the College’s bachelors, masters and doctoral programs. During Saturday’s ceremony, graduates of the UTEP School of Nursing were also recognized.
This fall commencement was particularly special as both the staff marshal and grand marshal who led faculty, staff and graduates into the Don Haskins Center were representatives of the College of Health Sciences. Individuals nominated for these positions typically hold stellar records of service to the University.
Terri Weber, who served as staff marshal for Saturday evening’s event, is the building manager for the College’s Campbell site and serves as the administrative assistant for the Master of Rehabilitation Counseling program. Ms. Weber has 23 years of service at UTEP. Dr. Loretta Dillon, who served as grand marshal, is a UTEP alumna (BS in Biology) and clinical professor of Physical Therapy. Dr. Dillon has 26 years of service at UTEP and is a founding faculty member of the UTEP Physical Therapy Program. She will be retiring at the end of the fall semester. Dillon considers among her greatest accomplishments the recent award of a $2.6 million grant for scholarships for disadvantaged students seeking a degree in Physical Therapy.
During the ceremony, Interim Provost Dr. John Wiebe also asked the audience to recognize faculty who had served five, 10, 20, and 30 or more years at UTEP. Dr. Lorraine Torres, director of the Clinical Laboratory Science Program, received hearty applause as she remained standing to the very end.
Leading into the announcement of degree candidates, Dr. Wiebe also shared the personal success stories of two Health Sciences students – Marcelo Pena (BS in Rehabilitation Sciences) and Isabel Latz (PhD in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences). Pena, a military veteran and first-generation college student, plans to pursue a degree in Occupational Therapy and become a clinician. Latz, a German native and board member of Las Americas immigrant Advocacy Center, hopes to stay in El Paso and attain a position in higher education that will allow her to teach and continue her research in immigration and border health outcomes.
Student marshals and banner bearers for Saturday’s ceremony included Courtney Andrade (Student Marshal for CHS); Kenneth Heimer (Banner Bearer for CHS); Ashley Duenes (Graduate School Banner Bearer); and Michelle Galvan (Graduate Student Marshal for CHS).
The entire ceremony can be accessed on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPJmz5Tdcbg&feature=youtu.be
Go Miners!
