Western-Star.com

OXFORD — Friends and family of this year's Miami University graduates will gather inside Yager Stadium Saturday for the university's 169th spring commencement ceremony.

University officials plan to award 3,245 degrees at the 2 p.m. event, Saturday, May 10. Those degrees include six certificates, 181 associate's, 2,875 bachelor's, 169 master's and 14 doctorate's.

ABC News anchor Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" will be the keynote speaker and will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. Roberts has worked in broadcasting for more than 20 years, covering a wide array of topics and events of national and international interest. Roberts reported overseas on the Iraq War in 2003 and 2004, followed President Bill Clinton in Africa to report on AIDS issues and recently hosted a town hall meeting in Iowa with presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-New York).

Miami University Hamilton will hold a Graduate Recognition and Honors Dessert at 7 p.m. tonight at Parrish Auditorium.

Spokesman Perry Richardson said the ceremony will celebrate the accomplishments of MUH students graduating or continuing their studies at another school. The keynote speaker will be Miami graduate and Hamilton Mayor Don Ryan.

"This is a special tradition ... to salute not only our scholarship recipients and high-performing students, but also those who have contributed mightily to local communities," said Daniel Hall, dean of MUH.

Divisional ceremonies will also be held this weekend at various locations on the Oxford campus. For complete details, visit www.muohio.edu/commencement.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2122 or rwilson@coxohio.com.

Vote for this story!