First official class of Union Commonwealth University inducted Thursday

Rachel Dorroh • August 30, 2024
  • A group of six Union Commonwealth University students dressed in business-casual attire for Convocation stand shoulder-to-shoulder outside the Conway Boatman Chapel, smiling among a larger gathering of students, faculty, staff, and community members.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Travis Hensley and Kassidy Koogler stand smiling together among a larger gathering of students, faculty, staff, and community members outside the Conway Boatman Chapel. A mix of casual and business-casual attire can be seen on all present.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Three female Union Commonwealth University students are posing for a photo in the evening outside the Conway Boatman Chapel. They are standing one behind the other, all smiling and dressed in formal attire.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Three female Union Commonwealth University students are posing for a photo in the evening outside the Conway Boatman Chapel. They are standing together, arms around each other, all smiling and dressed in formal attire.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Two male Union Commonwealth University students wearing polo shirts stand pointing at the camera for a photo, outside the Conway Boatman Chapel, among a larger gathering of students, faculty, staff, and community members.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • James Becknell, Joshua Falls, and Coach Rodney Haddix stand together outside the Conway Boatman Chapel before Convocation, smiling and dressed in polo shirts. Joshua's shirt bares the Union logo with a pen clipped beneath it. A crowd is visible in the background.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Three female Union Commonwealth University students are posing for a photo in the bright evening sunlight outside the Conway Boatman Chapel. They are standing together, arms around each other, all smiling and dressed in formal attire. The chapel parking lot filled with cars can be seen in the background.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Interim President Dr. DJ Washington is high-fiving through a large crowd of students, faculty, staff, and community members outside the Conway Boatman Chapel before Convocation. A mix of casual and formal attire can be seen from everyone present.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
Interim President Dr. DJ Washington and Dr. Christine Marley-Frederick pose outside the Conway Boatman Chapel before Convocation. Marley-Frederick holds the wooden ceremonial mace over her shoulder. A crowd is visible in the background.

Students, faculty, staff, and community members filled Conway Boatman Chapel at Union Commonwealth University Thursday evening for the Fall Convocation and CIRCLES ceremony. The annual convocation kicks off the new semester and school year, and the CIRCLES ceremony, now in its 18th year, welcomes new students into the Union “family.” 


Since Union College transitioned to its new name last spring, the 2024-25 school year is the institution’s first as Union Commonwealth University (UCU). Thus, this year’s freshmen are the first official class of UCU. At 241 students, they are also the largest incoming class since 2020-2021, with freshman enrollment up 22% since last year.

 

The evening began with an invocation by Campus Minister the Rev. David Miller followed by welcoming remarks from Interim Provost David Powell. CIRCLES represents Union’s core values of celebration, integrity, responsibility, civility, learning, engagement, and spirituality, Powell explained. 


Interim President Dr. DJ Washington then addressed the class of 2028-2029: “This is where it starts. Make no mistake about it, you are here for a reason. You are here for a purpose,” he said. “You have caring faculty, you have generous staff, and you have amazing peers who are here to help you every step of the way. Take advantage.”


[PHOTO: Interim President Dr. DJ Washington poses outside the chapel, ahead of the event, with Dr. Christine Marley-Frederick, who was one of his professors when he was a student.]

Next, Washington introduced the keynote speaker, Assistant Professor of Math and Natural Sciences Libby Megna. He highlighted her passion for research, commitment to mentorship, and her advocacy for marginalized students. Megna received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Faculty Relations Committee last spring, she has supported multiple students to apply for and carry out research projects through the Appalachian Colleges Association, she is a member of Justice Leaders, and she serves as co-mentor of the IncludingU Club.


Megna’s address focused on two CIRCLES values – Learning and Engagement – which “are the same thing, not two separate entities,” she said. Highly influenced by the work of Paulo Freire, Megna treats students as “co-investigators” of real-world problems and “co-creators” of knowledge, she said, rather than passive “receivers of facts.”


“I believe that students should be able to tackle complex societal problems related to biology after completing my courses,” Megna said, referencing vaccines, cancer, and climate change. “We practice solving real world problems to become better citizens who can explain relative biological issues to others around us and inform voters for when politics confront biology.”

Libby Megna stands at a podium with a mounted microphone in front of the Conway Boatman Chapel delivering her Convocation address. She is wearing a formal black dress and holding what appears to be a copy of her address.

Megna said that while “we cannot compromise on the signs of evidence,” many complex factors such as ethical frameworks, life experience, and spirituality are part of decision-making, as well. “This is where learning becomes engagement,” she said, emphasizing that she does not pose or expect one correct answer to a problem and that she encourages students to consider how their perspectives would change if they came from a different place, time, or situation.


She concluded her talk by sharing her hopes and dreams for Union students: “I hope you will shape and reshape your knowledge in dialog with each other and with faculty.” She said she hopes students identify their personal values and priorities, care about others and the world they live in, and use their “unique culture and background to make the world a better place.” 


[PHOTO: Libby Megna delivers her convocation address.]


Megna’s dreams for students include that they use their passions and priorities for the common good, to make life better for others. “I dream these things not for your future, but for your now,” she said. “There are opportunities for you to engage in justice actions on campus right away.” Megna referenced the student organizations Black Student Union and IncludingU, which advocate for marginalized black and brown students and LGBTQ+ students, respectively.

“Learning IS engagement, and I am so excited to have you here to do both,” Megna said.

Rev. David Miller, Libby Megna, Dr. David Powell, Dr. DJ Washington, Ronnie Moore, Kassidy Koogler, and Travis Hensley stand side-to-side on the Conway Boatman Chapel's stage. They are all dressed in formal attire and holding various papers. Behind them, a collection of flags is mounted beside each person's chair.

After Megna’s speech, the audience pledged to support the student body and uphold the CIRCLES values. The pledges were led by Powell, Washington, City Councilman Ronnie Moore, and Student Ambassador Travis Hensley.


SGA President Kassidy Koogler then led the “Charge to the Class of 2028.” She asked the students, “Will you invest mind, heart, and spirit to strengthen these values within you so that they are reflected in all you do and readily apparent to all who come to know you?” The new students accepted.  


[PHOTO: From left to right, the Rev. David Miller, Libby Megna, Dr. David Powell. Dr. DJ Washington, Ronnie Moore, Kassidy Koogler, and Travis Hensley.]


Choral group Union Harmony, directed by Dr. Virginia Gay Gandy, sang Union’s alma mater, and Miller offered a final blessing and closing remarks: “At Union, academic pursuits are important, but it is you, the students, who are at the heart of our mission. We're here to support your intellectual, spiritual, and personal growth.” 


Then the crowd filed out of the chapel toward Centennial Hall while Dr. Yukiko Fujimura performed recessional piano music. Now dusk, Union faculty, staff, and returning students followed a luminary-lit path to line the outer circle of the drive. Freshmen were led along the front of campus, through the center of brick-lined Legacy Walk, and then to the inner circle. 


Washington led the ceremony from a podium in front of Centennial, guiding those on the outer circle to place a special medallion around the neck of each new student now standing in front of them. 

“As the class of 2028, you have accepted the responsibility to preserve the CIRCLES values. Faculty, staff, students and community have pledged to support you, and we expect you to succeed,” Washington said. “By accepting this medallion, you commit to your personal growth as a student, as a global citizen, and as a member of Union Commonwealth University family.”


He instructed the students to hold on to these medallions because when they graduate, there will be a closing CIRCLES ceremony in which they will give the medallion back to whomever they feel best represented these core values during their time at Union and made a positive impact on them.

Freshmen dressed in both casual and business-casual attire are being led along the front of campus in the dim evening light. They are walking through the center of the luminary-lit, brick-lined Legacy Walk and into the inner circle.
Students, faculty, staff, and community members are lined up in the dim evening light along the outer circle of the luminary-lit Legacy Walk, with Speed Hall and the Conway Boatman Chapel visible in the background. All are wearing a mix of casual and business casual-attire.
Freshmen dressed in both casual and business-casual attire are being led along the front of campus in the dim evening light. They are walking through the center of the luminary-lit, brick-lined Legacy Walk and into the inner circle. One female student is walking with crutches.
Three female students dressed in formal attire are posing for a photo with their arms around each other. The student in the middle is wearing a Convocation medallion on a black ribbon around her neck, like a necklace. A dark sky and lamplights from the front of the campus are visible in the background.
A Convocation Circles medal with a black neck ribbon is lying on green grass lit up by soft lighting. The medal reads Union College 1879 CIRCLES.
A male freshman wearing a gray checkered shirt is receiving a Convocation Circles medallion from a woman wearing a teal dress. Both are smiling at the camera while she places the medal around his neck. In the background, several other students are also receiving medallions against a dark sky lit by streetlamps.
A group of twenty men and women in casual and formal attire stand together in front of a brick building with white pillars on a set of stairs. Several are wearing their Circles medallions. One male student is giving a thumbs up.
Bill and Merrill Davies with the Union Mascot, Mack the Bulldog.

Bill & Merrill Davies — A Union of Service & Learning

By David Saylor • June 24, 2025
William “Bill” Davies ’66 and Merrill Johnson Davies ’64 were brought together by their education at Union College and their Baptist faith in 1962. Since then, they have built a lasting legacy of service, learning, and community impact — one that has spanned more than 56 years of marriage.

UCU Celebrates Barbourville High School Seniors with Over $88,000 in Scholarships

By Maisie Nelson • June 13, 2025
Union Commonwealth University is proud to recognize the achievements of seniors from Barbourville High School who have committed to continue their academic and athletic pursuits at Union. Together, these students have been awarded more than $88,000 in scholarships as part of the university’s commitment to supporting local talent and making higher education more accessible.
Lynn and Amanda with Union's mascot, Mack the Bulldog, all wearing caps and gowns on Union's campus.

Lynn Smith & Amanda Hensely — Like Mother, Like Daughter

By Rachel Dorroh • June 5, 2025
This past fall, Lynn Smith was appointed as Executive Vice President of Union Commonwealth University. She draws on her nearly 25 years of service and three Union degrees to oversee operations including business & finance, information technology, and human resources, among other responsibilities.

Summer Brings Improvements and Guests to Union’s Campus

By Maisie Nelson • June 4, 2025
Union Commonwealth University is proud to share several exciting updates as work gets underway on key campus improvement projects this summer. These initiatives, made possible through successful fundraising efforts, reflect Union’s commitment to creating a welcoming, well-maintained environment for students, visitors, and the broader community.

Eight Bell County Seniors Commit to UCU, Over $190,000 Awarded in Scholarships

By Maisie Nelson • June 4, 2025
Union Commonwealth University is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of seniors from Bell County High School who have committed to continue their academic journeys at Union. Together, these students have been awarded over $190,000 in scholarships, recognizing both academic excellence and athletic talent.

Union Offers Free Swim Days for Local Youth This June

By Maisie Nelson • June 2, 2025
Union Commonwealth University is inviting school-aged children to enjoy free swim days every Saturday in June, beginning June 7 at the Center for Health & Learning’s Stivers Aquatic Center. These open swim opportunities are a way to give back to the community and celebrate the start of summer with local families.
Miller standing beside the sign for Conway Boatman Chapel.

The Rev. David Miller retires after 21 years of ministry at UCU

By Rachel Dorroh • May 30, 2025
After 21 years as the chaplain of Union Commonwealth University (UCU), the Rev. David Miller is retiring this month. Since his first ministerial appointment in 1984, he has served as the pastor of several Kentucky congregations, has taken on leadership roles in multiple Kentucky organizations, and has led countless campus programs and groups dedicated to student development. He says supporting students to find their personal calling, however, has been the highlight of his career.

Union Celebrates Another Ten Honorees in its “50 Under 50” Recognition Program

By Maisie Nelson • May 27, 2025
Union Commonwealth University proudly announces the next ten distinguished alumni honored as part of the university’s inaugural “50 Under 50” recognition program. Celebrating alumni who are making an impact before the age of 50, the program continues to highlight exceptional leaders across diverse industries — from public service and business innovation to healthcare, marketing, education, and law.
Leadership Tri-County class of 2025 with Andra Butler and Tori Doyle standing at the far right end.

The essence of leadership at UCU

By David Saylor • May 22, 2025
Leadership is about more than a title, it's a commitment to personal growth, professional excellence, and something greater than yourself. For many, this may mean embracing new challenges or simply striving to make a meaningful impact. At Union Commonwealth University, however, leadership also means investing in the potential of others by creating opportunities for growth, mentorship, and collaboration at every level.
Dr. Christine Marley-Frederick holding a mounted camera.

Dr. Christine Marley-Frederick to retire after 31 years at Union

By David Saylor • May 21, 2025
As Union Commonwealth University (UCU) sends off its new 2025 class of graduates, another farewell is underway. After 40 years of teaching, researching, and mentoring — 31 of them at Union — Dr. Christine Marley-Frederick, Professor of Communication, will retire this May. During her time at UCU, Marley-Frederick has had a profound influence on the Union community. She led the communication program through years of growth and change, served a decade as a department chair, became a faculty trustee, produced ten years of yearbooks, won several teaching awards, and even ran a coffee shop in the basement of Centennial.
More Posts