Julie Groves Board Member | Official Website
Julie Groves Board Member | Official Website
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will hold its spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 17. Heather Berklund, the first female state forester in Wisconsin and a 2000 alumna of UW-Stevens Point, will address the graduates and their families.
Berklund has been part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry for nearly 25 years. She will speak to attendees at both ceremonies scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The events will take place at the Skyward Fieldhouse in Marshfield Clinic Health Systems Champions Hall, located at 2050 Fourth Ave., Stevens Point.
Degrees across various academic levels, including doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees, will be awarded during these ceremonies. Detailed information is available at www.uwsp.edu/commencement.
Chancellor Thomas Gibson will lead the ceremonies alongside Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs La Vonne Cornell-Swanson. The deans from four academic colleges will oversee the degree presentations.
Cynthia Yang from Milwaukee is set to be the student speaker for the morning ceremony as a Bachelor of Arts candidate in media studies. Leah Bertrand from Stevens Point will speak at the afternoon ceremony as a Bachelor of Science candidate in business administration. Alumni Krissy (class of 2002) and Javier Alaniz (class of 2004) are slated to lead the alumni pinning ceremonies.
The national anthem at the morning ceremony will be performed by Austin Vonderloh from Omro, a Bachelor of Music candidate, while Alliyah Treu from Wausau, also a Bachelor of Music candidate, will sing the Alma Mater. At the afternoon event, senior music education major Irene Wilson from Hartford will perform both pieces. The soloists will have accompaniment from the UW-Stevens Point Symphonic Wind Ensemble under Professor John Lynch's direction.
Each ceremony is expected to last approximately two-and-a-half hours and can be viewed via livestream on the commencement website for those unable to attend in person. Parking is free in all campus lots except Lot F East reserved for handicap access.
Berklund's role as state forester involves leading sustainable forestry initiatives and wildland fire protection efforts across Wisconsin. Her experience includes serving as deputy division administrator for Forestry Field Operations and other supervisory positions where she managed public lands, tax law programs, fire suppression efforts, educational outreach programs, and private landowner programs.
She emphasizes collaboration with her staff and external partners while aligning program work with public needs and forest health objectives. Berklund maintains ties with UWSP through her involvement with various projects including those with UWSP's Forestry Center and LEAF forestry education program.
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