Indiana University East will host its 42nd Commencement Ceremony at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 10, at the Richmond High School Tiernan Center.

This year, the university will confer 532 baccalaureate degrees and 28 master’s degrees. The awarding of the degrees is a significant increase for IU East and this year marks the most awarded in the school’s history. In 2012, IU East awarded 445 baccalaureate degrees and 16 master’s degrees. Additionally, the first cohort of students in the Master of Science in Management will have degrees conferred during the ceremony.

Interim Chancellor Larry Richards comments that “the growth in number of graduates over the past two years has been phenomenal and is a testament to the success of the approach the campus has taken to its change in mission. As the leader in public bachelor’s and master’s degree education in the region, I expect this growth to continue next year as well.”

Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie and IU East Interim Chancellor Larry Richards will preside and address the 560 graduates eligible to receive IU degrees during the ceremony. The figures include degree recipients from December 2012 and candidates for May, June and August 2013.

The ceremony will be broadcast via live stream video at iue.edu/live. The website also includes live commencement updates and commentary via Twitter and Facebook. Richmond residents can also watch the ceremony live on WCTV Channel 20.

As part of the ceremony, IU East will award a Distinguished Alumni Award to Robert A. Coons, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind. Over the past year, Coons served Rose-Hulman as the interim president. Coons received his associate degree from IU East.

Britany Swallow of Richmond, Ind., will address fellow classmates during the ceremony as the student speaker. Swallow will receive a Bachelor of Social Work and was selected to address the 2013 class after auditioning for the honor. Swallow was president of the Student Government Association (SGA).

Kelly Coffman of West Alexandria, Ohio, is the recipient of the Naomi Osborne Award, an honor given to the graduate with the highest grade point average, and will lead the graduating class during the alumni induction ceremony. Coffman will receive a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.

For more information, visit iue.edu/commencement.